ROCOF, Voltage Vector Shift and Circuit Breaker Fail Functions added to NOJA Power RC-10 and RC-15 Controllers

Switchgear engineering firm NOJA Power today confirms the release of a new firmware upgrade package for their RC-10 and RC-15 Recloser Controllers. This optional upgrade to the firmware adds ANSI 81R Rate of Change of Frequency (ROCOF) Protection, ANSI 78 VVS Voltage Vector Shift Protection and ANSI 50 BF Circuit Breaker Failure functionality to the extensive suite of functionality available in the controller. The relay version is designated 1.24.0.0 and is available from NOJA Power or any NOJA Power distributor.

Whilst the update is entirely optional, it is free to all users of NOJA Power RC-10 and RC-15 controllers. This update will allow these Recloser Controllers to meet the protection requirements of the vast majority of renewable energy connection sites.

Both VVS and ROCOF protection are deployed for anti-islanding purposes, and are passive protection techniques designed to detect the load/generation mismatch that occurs in most islanding scenarios. NOJA Power have released a concept primer on both VVS and ROCOF.

Circuit breaker failure, designated 50 BF in the ANSI standard electrical device identification scheme, is a monitor of a circuit breaker element which can provide an alarm or indication if a protection device fails to operate and break the line current after an actuation signal has been initiated. Breaker Failure functionality is considered best practice for substation and bulk transfer circuit breaker installations. In these applications, regardless of the performance reliability of a product, there must be contingency protection and monitoring in the event of a failure, and CB Failure functionality is the mechanism by which this is achieved. In the event of a failure to operate, the Recloser generates a signal indicating this scenario which can be routed to backup protection and/or remote SCADA. CB Failure also provides a degree of monitoring of the failure of vacuum in vacuum-interrupter based switchgear.

“We continue to remain focused on bringing value to our customers well beyond their initial purchase of our equipment,” reports NOJA Power Group Managing Director Neil O’Sullivan. “With new firmware releases that are available for installation in our entire install base of compatibility controllers, we add on going value to our customers install base. This release in particular incorporates ROCOF and VVS ensuring any one of our devices can be used to connect and synchronise localised generation to the grid.”