Intelligent Electronic Device-in-the-Loop: A Real-Time Simulation as Modern Educational Aid

Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) have a crucial role in modern power systems. These IEDs can enhance power systems by providing up-to-date information to operators and ensuring proper operations of power system components. However, incorrect configuration settings in IEDs can trigger malfunctio...

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Main Authors: Francisco Gonzalez-Longatt, LE Nam Hai Pham
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2025-01-01
Series:IEEE Access
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10781414/
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author Francisco Gonzalez-Longatt
LE Nam Hai Pham
author_facet Francisco Gonzalez-Longatt
LE Nam Hai Pham
author_sort Francisco Gonzalez-Longatt
collection DOAJ
description Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) have a crucial role in modern power systems. These IEDs can enhance power systems by providing up-to-date information to operators and ensuring proper operations of power system components. However, incorrect configuration settings in IEDs can trigger malfunctions, such as unintended circuit breaker trips, leading to cascading failures, widespread outages, and reduced power system reliability. Therefore, before deploying IEDs in an actual power system, it is essential to validate their settings to prevent potential catastrophic incidents. To ensure an effective testing environment for modern IEDs, it demands not only technical proficiency but also a thorough understanding of the underlying principles governing their operation. Accordingly, many power engineers have to undergo specialised training provided by companies and vendors to acquire the requisite skills and knowledge for their roles. However, in educational institutions, equipping future power engineers with the necessary knowledge and skills for testing IEDs has remained challenges. These difficulties stem from the need for specialised, often costly equipment, along with a flexible academic environment that accommodates both in-person and remote learning. With the support of real-time simulation and hardware-in-the-loop technologies, these challenges can be addressed by utilising virtual and realistic IED devices, making it easier for learners to gain hands-on experiences in a controlled and safe environment without disrupting actual power supplies or damaging expensive equipment. For this reason, this article introduces the concept of “IED-in-the-loop” as an educational aid to enhance the existing electrical power engineering curriculum. This concept helps students gain a basic understanding of real-world devices through laboratory experiments, paving the way for future power engineers. Furthermore, universities, research institutes, and industry companies can use this aid as an additional training course for their students and employees.
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spelling doaj-art-40ba20c1a7e741b085fca229be34ea9e2025-08-20T02:44:42ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362025-01-01131285129410.1109/ACCESS.2024.351277910781414Intelligent Electronic Device-in-the-Loop: A Real-Time Simulation as Modern Educational AidFrancisco Gonzalez-Longatt0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7157-9844LE Nam Hai Pham1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4578-2811Digital Energy System Laboratory, University of South-Eastern Norway, Porsgrunn, NorwayDigital Energy System Laboratory, University of South-Eastern Norway, Porsgrunn, NorwayIntelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) have a crucial role in modern power systems. These IEDs can enhance power systems by providing up-to-date information to operators and ensuring proper operations of power system components. However, incorrect configuration settings in IEDs can trigger malfunctions, such as unintended circuit breaker trips, leading to cascading failures, widespread outages, and reduced power system reliability. Therefore, before deploying IEDs in an actual power system, it is essential to validate their settings to prevent potential catastrophic incidents. To ensure an effective testing environment for modern IEDs, it demands not only technical proficiency but also a thorough understanding of the underlying principles governing their operation. Accordingly, many power engineers have to undergo specialised training provided by companies and vendors to acquire the requisite skills and knowledge for their roles. However, in educational institutions, equipping future power engineers with the necessary knowledge and skills for testing IEDs has remained challenges. These difficulties stem from the need for specialised, often costly equipment, along with a flexible academic environment that accommodates both in-person and remote learning. With the support of real-time simulation and hardware-in-the-loop technologies, these challenges can be addressed by utilising virtual and realistic IED devices, making it easier for learners to gain hands-on experiences in a controlled and safe environment without disrupting actual power supplies or damaging expensive equipment. For this reason, this article introduces the concept of “IED-in-the-loop” as an educational aid to enhance the existing electrical power engineering curriculum. This concept helps students gain a basic understanding of real-world devices through laboratory experiments, paving the way for future power engineers. Furthermore, universities, research institutes, and industry companies can use this aid as an additional training course for their students and employees.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10781414/IEDshardware-in-the-loopprotection relaysreal-time simulationrelay testing
spellingShingle Francisco Gonzalez-Longatt
LE Nam Hai Pham
Intelligent Electronic Device-in-the-Loop: A Real-Time Simulation as Modern Educational Aid
IEEE Access
IEDs
hardware-in-the-loop
protection relays
real-time simulation
relay testing
title Intelligent Electronic Device-in-the-Loop: A Real-Time Simulation as Modern Educational Aid
title_full Intelligent Electronic Device-in-the-Loop: A Real-Time Simulation as Modern Educational Aid
title_fullStr Intelligent Electronic Device-in-the-Loop: A Real-Time Simulation as Modern Educational Aid
title_full_unstemmed Intelligent Electronic Device-in-the-Loop: A Real-Time Simulation as Modern Educational Aid
title_short Intelligent Electronic Device-in-the-Loop: A Real-Time Simulation as Modern Educational Aid
title_sort intelligent electronic device in the loop a real time simulation as modern educational aid
topic IEDs
hardware-in-the-loop
protection relays
real-time simulation
relay testing
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10781414/
work_keys_str_mv AT franciscogonzalezlongatt intelligentelectronicdeviceinthelooparealtimesimulationasmoderneducationalaid
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