Microprocessors in substation control

As part of the management of the National Grid, the Information Technology Department of National Grid (NGC-IT) is developing a suite of systems to enable National Grid substations to be brought under microprocessor control. The authors examine developments in three major control areas, automatic voltage control (AVC), automatic reactive switching (ARS) and computerised auto-switching (CAS), in some detail and discuss the quality standards achieved by the developments. The authors believe that the installation of microprocessor controllers can lead to substantial savings in manpower costs whilst maintaining the high standards of reliability of the Grid that the public has the right to expect.