Vulnerability of Smart Grid-enabled Protection Relays to IEMI

<p>The electricity sector has been undergoing transformations towards the smart grid concept, which aims to improve the robustness, efficiency, and flexibility of the power system. This transition has been achieved by the introduction of smart electronic devices (SEDs) and advanced automatic c...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: F. Arduini, M. Lanzrath, S. Ghosalkar, A. Nateghi, S. Fisahn, M. Schaarschmidt
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Copernicus Publications 2023-07-01
Series:Advances in Radio Science
Online Access:https://ars.copernicus.org/articles/20/131/2023/ars-20-131-2023.pdf
_version_ 1797771566204846080
author F. Arduini
M. Lanzrath
S. Ghosalkar
A. Nateghi
S. Fisahn
M. Schaarschmidt
author_facet F. Arduini
M. Lanzrath
S. Ghosalkar
A. Nateghi
S. Fisahn
M. Schaarschmidt
author_sort F. Arduini
collection DOAJ
description <p>The electricity sector has been undergoing transformations towards the smart grid concept, which aims to improve the robustness, efficiency, and flexibility of the power system. This transition has been achieved by the introduction of smart electronic devices (SEDs) and advanced automatic control and communication systems. Despite the benefits of such modernization, safety issues have emerged with significant concern by experts and entities worldwide. One of these issues is known as Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (IEMI), where offenders employ high-power electromagnetic sources to maliciously disrupt or damage electronic devices. One of the possible gateways for IEMI attacks targeting the smart grids is the microprocessor-based protection relays. On the one hand, the malfunctioning of these devices can lead to equipment damage, including high-voltage equipment (e.g., power transformers), which represent one of the most high-cost items of energy infrastructure. On the other hand, a possible misleading triggering of these devices could cause cascading effects along the various nodes of the power system, resulting in widespread blackouts. Thus, this study presents the possible recurring effects of IEMI exposure of a typical protection relay used in smart grid substations as part of the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. For this purpose, a test setup containing a smart grid protective unit, a monitoring box, and the device's wiring harness is exposed to radiated IEMI threats with high-power narrowband signals using a TEM waveguide and horn antennas. The effects during the test campaigns are observed by means of an IEMI-hardened camera system and a software developed to real-time monitor the device's fibre optic communication link, which is established according to the IEC 60870-5-105 protocol. The results revealed failures ranging from display deviation to various types of protection relay shutdown. Moreover, the consequences of the identified failures in a power substation are discussed to feed into a risk analysis regarding the threat of IEMI to power infrastructures.</p>
first_indexed 2024-03-12T21:39:26Z
format Article
id doaj.art-5e3a2e4562bf4b7b83121b6529db6fe7
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1684-9965
1684-9973
language deu
last_indexed 2024-03-12T21:39:26Z
publishDate 2023-07-01
publisher Copernicus Publications
record_format Article
series Advances in Radio Science
spelling doaj.art-5e3a2e4562bf4b7b83121b6529db6fe72023-07-27T05:41:13ZdeuCopernicus PublicationsAdvances in Radio Science1684-99651684-99732023-07-012013113910.5194/ars-20-131-2023Vulnerability of Smart Grid-enabled Protection Relays to IEMIF. Arduini0M. Lanzrath1S. Ghosalkar2A. Nateghi3S. Fisahn4M. Schaarschmidt5Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT, Euskirchen, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT, Euskirchen, GermanyDepartment of Electromagnetic Compatibility, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, GermanyBundeswehr Research Institute for Protective Technologies and CBRN Protection, Munster, GermanyBundeswehr Research Institute for Protective Technologies and CBRN Protection, Munster, GermanyBundeswehr Research Institute for Protective Technologies and CBRN Protection, Munster, Germany<p>The electricity sector has been undergoing transformations towards the smart grid concept, which aims to improve the robustness, efficiency, and flexibility of the power system. This transition has been achieved by the introduction of smart electronic devices (SEDs) and advanced automatic control and communication systems. Despite the benefits of such modernization, safety issues have emerged with significant concern by experts and entities worldwide. One of these issues is known as Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (IEMI), where offenders employ high-power electromagnetic sources to maliciously disrupt or damage electronic devices. One of the possible gateways for IEMI attacks targeting the smart grids is the microprocessor-based protection relays. On the one hand, the malfunctioning of these devices can lead to equipment damage, including high-voltage equipment (e.g., power transformers), which represent one of the most high-cost items of energy infrastructure. On the other hand, a possible misleading triggering of these devices could cause cascading effects along the various nodes of the power system, resulting in widespread blackouts. Thus, this study presents the possible recurring effects of IEMI exposure of a typical protection relay used in smart grid substations as part of the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. For this purpose, a test setup containing a smart grid protective unit, a monitoring box, and the device's wiring harness is exposed to radiated IEMI threats with high-power narrowband signals using a TEM waveguide and horn antennas. The effects during the test campaigns are observed by means of an IEMI-hardened camera system and a software developed to real-time monitor the device's fibre optic communication link, which is established according to the IEC 60870-5-105 protocol. The results revealed failures ranging from display deviation to various types of protection relay shutdown. Moreover, the consequences of the identified failures in a power substation are discussed to feed into a risk analysis regarding the threat of IEMI to power infrastructures.</p>https://ars.copernicus.org/articles/20/131/2023/ars-20-131-2023.pdf
spellingShingle F. Arduini
M. Lanzrath
S. Ghosalkar
A. Nateghi
S. Fisahn
M. Schaarschmidt
Vulnerability of Smart Grid-enabled Protection Relays to IEMI
Advances in Radio Science
title Vulnerability of Smart Grid-enabled Protection Relays to IEMI
title_full Vulnerability of Smart Grid-enabled Protection Relays to IEMI
title_fullStr Vulnerability of Smart Grid-enabled Protection Relays to IEMI
title_full_unstemmed Vulnerability of Smart Grid-enabled Protection Relays to IEMI
title_short Vulnerability of Smart Grid-enabled Protection Relays to IEMI
title_sort vulnerability of smart grid enabled protection relays to iemi
url https://ars.copernicus.org/articles/20/131/2023/ars-20-131-2023.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT farduini vulnerabilityofsmartgridenabledprotectionrelaystoiemi
AT mlanzrath vulnerabilityofsmartgridenabledprotectionrelaystoiemi
AT sghosalkar vulnerabilityofsmartgridenabledprotectionrelaystoiemi
AT anateghi vulnerabilityofsmartgridenabledprotectionrelaystoiemi
AT sfisahn vulnerabilityofsmartgridenabledprotectionrelaystoiemi
AT mschaarschmidt vulnerabilityofsmartgridenabledprotectionrelaystoiemi