Protection relays – One of the critical components of the electrical power grid

No matter what actions and technologies are used to ensure safe and continuous grid operation, faults can still occur. When they do, it is crucial to limit damage and disruption to the grid by restricting faults to the affected part of the system. 

Protection relays, a key component of the protection scheme, detect electrical faults (such as short circuits or overloads) and disconnect affected equipment or circuits before serious damage occurs. By doing so, they safeguard human and animal safety, the environment, and financial investments.

Although protection relays are seldom activated, their failure or unintended operation can lead to severe consequences. Therefore, testing and certification of protection relays is critical to ensuring a functional, reliable and safe network for transmitting and distributing electricity.

KEMA Labs – Your trusted partner for testing and certification 

KEMA Labs provides independent, ISO/IEC 17025 accredited testing and certification services for protection relays in accordance with international standards such as the IEC 60255 series. Recognized globally, our KEMA Type Test Reports and Certificates assure manufacturers and stakeholders that protection relays will function correctly under both normal and fault conditions.

KEMA Labs provides a comprehensive, one-stop service package for protection relays and systems —an ideal solution for those targeting the global market. Our services include:

  • Hardware / environmental type tests: type testing and certification according to IEC 60255-1, IEC 60255-26, IEC 60255-27, IEEE C37.90.1 / 2 / 3 standards. This includes electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests, product safety tests, climatic tests, mechanical tests and others (contact performance, burden, dimensions, markings, etc.)
  • Functional testing: functional tests for overcurrent protection (IEC 60255-151), under/over voltage protection (IEC 60255-127), thermal protection (IEC 60255-149), frequency protection (IEC 60255-181), distance protection (IEC 60255-121), differential protection (IEC 60255-187-1 and IEC 60255-13) and others.
  • Communication protocol conformance: protocol certification for IEC 61850 Edition 2.1, IEC 61850 Edition 2, IEC 60870-5-101, IEC 60870-5-103, IEC 60870-5-104 and DNP3
  • Hardware-in-the-loop testing (RTDS testing): hardware-in-the-loop testing with our Opal-RT real-time simulator platform to model modern power grids