ABB REF615E D Feeder Protection and Control Relay

The ABB REF615E D is a numerical feeder protection relay belonging to the Relion® 615 series. It is specifically designed for protection, control, measurement, and supervision of medium voltage distribution feeders in utility and industrial power systems. With its compact design and advanced functionality, the REF615E D ensures reliable fault clearance and enhances network availability.

Protection Functions

The REF615E D offers a comprehensive set of protection functions suitable for radial and loop feeders:

• Three-phase overcurrent (50/51): Definite time or inverse time characteristics (IEC, IEEE, user-defined).

• Earth fault protection (50N/51N): Sensitive, directional, and transient earth fault detection.

• Directional overcurrent (67): For phase and earth faults, enabling selective coordination in meshed networks.

• Voltage protection: Undervoltage (27), overvoltage (59), residual overvoltage (59N).

• Frequency protection: Underfrequency (81U), overfrequency (81O), and rate of change of frequency (81R).

• Recloser (79): Multi-shot auto-reclosing with dead time and reclaim time settings.

• Arc protection: Optional via external sensors.

All protection stages are independently configurable with programmable logic and flexible I/O mapping.

Control and Monitoring

The relay includes bay control functions for circuit breakers and disconnectors, with interlocking and synchronization check (25). It features a programmable logic matrix for custom automation schemes. The disturbance recorder captures fault waveforms with up to 80 samples/cycle for detailed analysis. Measurement accuracy is class 0.5 for current and voltage.

Communication and Interoperability

The REF615E D supports IEC 61850 Edition 2 with GOOSE messaging for fast peer-to-peer communication. It also offers IEC 60870-5-103, Modbus RTU, and DNP3.0 protocols. Redundant Ethernet ports (PRP/HSR) are available for high availability. The relay includes a front panel USB port for local configuration using PCM600.

Technical Specifications

• Measuring inputs: 3 current (1/5 A) and 3 voltage (100-230 V AC).

• Binary I/O: 8 binary inputs, 8 output relays (expandable via I/O modules).

• Power supply: 24-250 V DC or 100-240 V AC.

• Case: 6U, 84 HP, flush mount, IP54 front.

• Operating temperature: -25°C to +55°C.

Typical Applications

• Feeder protection in secondary substations (up to 36 kV).

• Industrial distribution networks.

• Smart grid automation and distribution automation schemes.

• Integration with SCADA and substation automation systems.

Cybersecurity

The REF615E D includes role-based user authentication, access control, and event logging to comply with NERC CIP and other cybersecurity standards. It supports RADIUS and LDAP for centralized user management.

With its advanced protection, flexible communication, and compact footprint, the ABB REF615E D feeder relay is an ideal solution for modern distribution networks requiring high reliability and interoperability.