ABB REF615A_E HAFAABAAABE1BCA1XE – Advanced Feeder Protection & Control Relay for Distribution Automation

Description

Application Scenarios

At a major European data center campus, repeated nuisance tripping on critical 20 kV motor feeders threatened uptime during peak cooling demand. Legacy electromechanical relays lacked event recording and couldn’t distinguish between inrush current and genuine faults. After deploying the ABB REF615A_E HAFAABAAABE1BCA1XE with its adaptive thermal overload and waveform capture capabilities, engineers identified that voltage sags from nearby grid switching were causing torque transients misinterpreted as short circuits. By tuning the relay’s negative-sequence overcurrent element and enabling IEC 61850 GOOSE messaging for fast interlocking with upstream breakers, unplanned outages dropped to zero over 14 months. In this mission-critical setting, the REF615A_E HAFAABAAABE1BCA1XE didn’t just protect equipment—it safeguarded business continuity.

Technical Principles and Innovative Values

Innovation Point 1: Embedded Arc Flash Mitigation – The REF615A_E HAFAABAAABE1BCA1XE supports optional fiber-optic arc sensors that detect intense light within switchgear, triggering breaker opening in under 4 ms—reducing incident energy by >85% compared to conventional overcurrent-only schemes.

Innovation Point 2: True IEC 61850 Process Bus Ready – Native support for Sampled Values (SV) and GOOSE over PRP/HSR networks enables direct connection to merging units and peer relays without protocol gateways, simplifying substation automation architecture.

Innovation Point 3: Adaptive Thermal Modeling – The 49RMS thermal overload function dynamically adjusts heating/cooling constants based on real-time load profiles, preventing false trips during motor startups while ensuring accurate winding temperature estimation.

Innovation Point 4: Cyber-Secure by Design – Features role-based access control, audit logging, and encrypted firmware updates compliant with NERC CIP and IEC 62351—critical for utilities facing increasing cyber threats.

Application Cases and Industry Value

A North American municipal utility retrofitted 120 aging substations with ABB REF615A_E HAFAABAAABE1BCA1XE relays as part of a grid modernization initiative. The dual Ethernet ports enabled seamless integration into their existing SCADA via IEC 61850. while the built-in power quality recorder identified harmonic resonance issues caused by new solar inverters—allowing targeted filter installation. Over three years, SAIDI improved by 32%, and engineering hours spent on fault analysis fell by 60% thanks to COMTRADE waveform exports and sequence-of-events logs. In another deployment, an Asian semiconductor fab used the REF615A_E HAFAABAAABE1BCA1XE’s sensitive earth-fault detection (51N down to 0.02x In) to locate intermittent ground faults in cleanroom HVAC systems before they escalated—avoiding $ 2M+ in potential wafer scrap per incident.

Related Product Combination Solutions

Optimize protection and automation performance by integrating the REF615A_E HAFAABAAABE1BCA1XE with these ABB Relion® and auxiliary products:

REF620: Higher-end line differential protection relay for critical feeders requiring zone interlocking.

REM615: Motor protection variant with stall/slip detection and start inhibit logic.

OPT11: Dedicated optical arc flash sensor module with 10-meter fiber extension.

TTX01: Time synchronization unit supporting IRIG-B, PTP (IEEE 1588), and SNTP.

PCM600: Engineering tool for configuration, testing, and lifecycle management.

RED615: Transformer protection relay with vector group compensation and Buchholz input.

LTX01: Local HMI panel for on-device monitoring and control.

615 I/O Modules (e.g., BIO615): Expandable binary I/O for complex interlocking schemes.

Installation, Maintenance, and Full-Cycle Support

Installing the ABB REF615A_E HAFAABAAABE1BCA1XE requires standard 483 mm (19″) panel mounting with proper CT/VT wiring polarity and shield grounding. Commissioning is accelerated via PCM600’s auto-configuration templates and built-in test sequences. The front-panel LCD provides real-time status, fault indications, and metering—even without network connectivity.

For maintenance, the relay performs continuous self-diagnostics (watchdog, memory, A/D integrity) and logs all events with 1 ms timestamp resolution. Firmware upgrades are performed securely over Ethernet without opening the enclosure. Our technical team offers relay coordination studies, arc flash hazard analysis, and cybersecurity hardening services. Every REF615A_E HAFAABAAABE1BCA1XE we supply is factory-tested per IEC 60255. includes a full calibration certificate, and comes with a 5-year warranty. With global ABB service centers and remote support capabilities, you ensure decades of reliable operation—from commissioning to decommissioning.

Contact us for a customized solution—engineered for resilience, certified for safety, and built to power the future of intelligent distribution networks.