PLCC Overview

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 Power Line Carrier Communication System
LT
Power Line
(50Hz)

CC
RF carrier
(40-500kHz)

PAX

RTU

PLCC TERMINAL
Transmission line
(AB-ETL41)
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 PLCC Technology
 PLCC system uses the same High Voltage transmission line connecting two
sub-stations for telecommunication purpose too.

 PLCC is used in all power utilities as a primary communication service to transmit

speech, telemetry and protection tripping commands. This is economic and
reliable for inter grid message transfer as well as low bit rate RTU signals.

 The voice/data are mixed with radio frequency carrier (40-500kHz), amplified to a
level of 10-80W RF power and injected in to high voltage power line using a
suitable coupling capacitor. The power line as a rigid long conductor parallel to
ground, guides the carrier waves to travel along the transmission line. Point to
point communication takes place between two SSB transceivers at both ends.

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Line diagram display

Sub-Station bay-1 To other S/S

Line Isolator

Circuit Breaker

Bus Isolator 1 Bus Isolator 2

Bus Bar #1

Bus Bar #2

Single Line digm

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 H.V Line

Line Trap
Coupling
capacitor
Components

PLCC LMU
terminal
Coaxial
cable

PLCC Terminal = Translates voice and data into High Frequency Carrier. Output Power =10 to 80W

LMU = Line Matching Unit = For impedance matching between line and coaxial cable, includes high
voltage protection devices like drainage coil(20mH), lightening arrestor(500V) and an earth switch.

Coupling Capacitor = Couples high frequency carrier with Power Line ( 4000 to10000pF)

Line Trap = Do not allow the transmitted HF carrier to enter inside the sub-station. (L = 0.5 to 2mH)
With out Line trap HF carrier get by-passed to some other line on the same bus bar and may leak
to ground ( a earth switch inside the yard provided for each bay is kept closed during maintenance)

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Coupling Scheme
Behind Front
Line Trap To remote
substation

Coupling The PLC

Capacitor
signal is
routed to
Line H.V Line
•Transformer(s) Matching
•BusBar Unit

The PLC
signal is
not
Coaxial
absorbed
by the
Local substation substation
PLC terminal
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Line trap function = PLC signal Blocking
HV Line

Power energy

PLC Signal

Substation

Line Trap = High Impedance for PLC signal

Low Impedance for Power energy

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Line Trap Components

Corona ring
Lifting lug
Terminal
Main coil
Tuning device
Pedestal
Protective device
Tie rod

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Line Trap is a parallel LC circuit

Inductance
of
main Coil

Lightning Series
Arrester resistance

Tuning
Capacitor

Damped single Line Trap

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Line Traps Mounting Options

Vertical Pedestal Horizontal Pedestal Suspension

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CVT : CAPACITIVE VOLTAGE
TRANSFORMER

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LMU function
Line Trap
LMU = impedance matching Transformer
+ high voltage Protection
Coupling
 To prevent dangerous potential on the Capacitor
PLCC connection s/s

To match PLCC set & transmission Line LMU PLC

Coaxial

Matching + Protection

LMU

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Modular Coupling Device
ABB make MCD-80

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 Elements of Coupling Device
• Drain coil for draining of HV leakage currents to earth.
• Lightning arrester at the line terminals of coupling device for
transients protection
• Transformer for impedance matching and galvanic isolation between
line and PLCC terminal.
• Earth switch for grounding of line terminals during maintenance.
• High-pass or band-pass filter elements for efficient matching.
• connectivity to equipment room through coaxial cable.

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 LMU functional blocks

Substation HV -line
Line
trap
Coupling
capacitor

Tx
ABB
MCD 80 or Coax cable Rx

PLC
Cabinet

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 HF Coupling modes LT

LT

Cc LT

Cc Cc
PLC LMU

PLC LMDU LMU

LT
LT

Cc Cc
Phase-to-Ground

LMDU LMU
Inter circuit
PLC

Phase-to-Phase

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 Function of PLCC terminal

IF

User Signal AF IF PA R.F Signal

IF RF
(0 to 4 kHz) (40 to 500 kHz)
H H

User Side AF RF Line Side

IF
AF
A gain RF
IF H= hybrid
IF

Translation : User audio signals into radio Spectrum

Amplification : To compensate the line attenuation
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PLCC Panel ( type: ABB ETL 41/42)

Modules
Cabinet
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Multiplexing speech & data in 4 kHz raster
Speech 3.4 kHz
Programmable
speech bandwidth
Speech 3.4 kHz

Speech 2.0 kHz

plus 0.3 3.6 4.0 kHz

tele protection
(4 trip commands)
0.3 2.0 3.6 4.0 kHz

plus

Speed
Tele metering
300 Bd
(FSK modem) Center frequency
120 Hz steps
1200 Bd

0.3 3.6 4.0 kHz

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ABB PLCC terminal ETL- 41
System data -- complies to IEC 495
Operating mode : Single side band Suppressed carrier
Frequency range: 40 to 500kHz (programmable in 4 kHz Steps)
AF Bandwidth: 4 kHz (Speech band=300 – 3400 Hz)
Transmitter RF output power : 40W ( +46 dBm)
Spurious suppression > 60 dB
Pilot channel : 3780 + 30 Hz
Receiver RF sensitivity : - 24 dBm
Receiver Selectivity : 70dB ( 300Hz from band limit)
Receiver Image rejection > 80 dB
Receiver IF rejection > 80 dB

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 Typical PLCC Installation

LT
LT

cc cc
C
FAX

ETL ETL

FAX

M M

PR PC MS PAX FAX PR PC RTU FAX

PR= Protection relay

MS = Master station FAX = Facsimile equipment
PAX = Private automatic exchange M = Modem
PR = Protection relay RTU = Remote terminal unit
PC = Computer
M = Modem

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 Effect of bad weather on PLCC communication
Losses increase for all inclement weather conditions

 The worst offender is when heavy frost is formed on the line

 Because of the skin effect, the carrier signal tries to propagate on the
ice instead of the conductor.
 The attenuation can change as much as 4:1 depending on the
frequency.

 The contaminats (on the insulators) have a larger effect when it is raining
than when the line is dry.

 The worst condition is a light rain with the presence of contaminants on the
insulators

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RF Noise
RF noise in HV line  two mains effects

Impulsive Noise = Caused by atmospheric discharges, breakers and isolator

close/open operation

Corona effect = Due to sequences of pulse streams caused by arcs over

conductors. It appears during positive-going half-cycle of the Line voltage
(occurrance frequency for a 50Hz 3-phase system is 150 Hz)

The corona noise could be subject to considerable variations due to

differences in the design parameters of the overhead line.

Other variations are possible due to the construction, altitude and age of the
line

Weather effect can also be significant

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Corona Noise

Voltage Correction
Bad weather Noise
(kV) (dB)
33 - 14
132 -4
220 0
400 +4
500 +5

Typical average Noise on a 220 kV line

and for a 3 kHz Bandwidth

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PLCC test instrument: Selective Level Meter

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PLCC test instrument : Selective Level Oscillator

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THANK YOU ALL

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