Triple Redundant Digital Protective Relay 2 Out of 3 Voting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital protective relays face challenges in ensuring high reliability and preventing malfunctions, which can lead to significant economic and social disruptions, especially in critical power systems like nuclear power plants.
Innovation Solution
A triple redundant digital protective relay is implemented with three power monitoring control devices in a triple redundant structure, using real-time data communication for a 2 out of 3 voting mechanism to control a circuit breaker and separate a failed power system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single protective relay is used to monitor power system, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability is insufficient due to potential malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The protective relay system is segmented into three independent monitoring control devices, each capable of independently monitoring the power system and generating trip signals. This segmentation allows the system to maintain functionality even if one device fails, thereby improving reliability while managing complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
Each of the three monitoring control devices is equipped with identical monitoring functions and circuit breaker control capabilities. This local quality approach ensures that each component can independently perform the critical protection function, providing redundancy and improving overall system reliability without requiring complex interdependencies
2Reliability
If triple redundant structure with 2 out of 3 voting is implemented, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The three monitoring control devices are merged into a unified protective relay system with shared power supply, communication interfaces, and circuit breaker control outputs. This merging approach reduces overall system complexity by consolidating common functions while maintaining the redundancy benefits of the triple modular structure
Solution Approach 2:
Each monitoring control device is designed with universal functionality to perform all critical protection functions independently. This multi-functionality ensures that any single device can take over completely if needed, simplifying the control logic compared to systems with specialized distributed functions while maintaining high reliability through redundancy
3Measurement precision
If real-time data communication between triple redundant modules is used, then the voting mechanism accuracy is improved, but the loss of time for data exchange occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring control devices continuously exchange status and measurement data in real-time through dedicated communication channels, maintaining up-to-date information about each other's operational state. This preliminary action ensures that voting decisions can be made immediately based on current data without requiring additional data request cycles, thus minimizing time loss while maintaining high voting accuracy
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a triple redundant digital protective relay and an operating method therefor. The triple redundant digital protective relay according to the present invention includes: three power monitoring control devices which have a triple redundant structure and control a circuit breaker for separating a failed power system based on a 2 out of 3 voting using real-time mutual data communication; and a central communication device which acquires data related to an operating state of the power system from the three power monitoring control devices and manages the acquired data related to the operating state of the power system.