Circuit Breakers for Utility, Smart Grids and Industrial Applications

Phil Black - PII Editor 23/10/2014

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Full range of low voltage circuit breakers extends ABB’s IEC 61850 offer for high, medium and low voltage installations

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has integrated full IEC 61850 communications functionality across its full range of Emax 2 range of low voltage circuit breakers.

Previously the protocol has only been available for medium voltage devices serving the oil and gas sector. But ABB has now extended the capability across its full range of Emax 2 circuit breakers, offering IEC 61850 functionality across the full range of utility, smart grids and industrial applications.

This step means that ABB is now able to offer a complete end-to-end power solution, bringing open interoperable communication and flexibility to substation automation at low, medium and high voltages.

Emax 2 is the only LV breaker that can be connected directly into an IEC 61850 scheme without an external gateway and dedicated programming. It is also fully compliant with the six other most common communications protocols, which are Modbus, Profibus, DeviceNet, Modbus TCP, Profinet and EtherNet/IP.

The IEC 61850 standard was introduced in the early 21st century as the first overall standard for serial communications in substation automation. Previous standards in the field were either limited by having to use components from a single supplier or using complex and costly protocol conversions. The standard defines the data models and sets, communication mechanisms and the system configuration language used for communication.

“By introducing IEC 61850 communication across the range of Emax 2 circuit breakers, ABB has ensured that its low voltage breakers are future proofed ready for the smart grid era,” said Rob McCaskie, ABB’s Product Manager for Power Circuit Breakers in the UK, “As expectations of protection and control systems grow, Emax 2 installations will be ready for interoperable working with components and software from different vendors, and operation with different system architectures.”