Superimposed Sequence Components For Microgrid Protection
Superimposed Sequence Components For Microgrid Protection
24 December 2021
Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/112027/
MPRA Paper No. 112027, posted 18 Feb 2022 05:53 UTC
Superimposed Sequence Components for Microgrid
Protection: A Review
Kwasi Opoku, Subash Pokharel, and Aleksandar Dimitrovski
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida 32826
Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Abstract—The new challenge to protective relaying in distri- issues affect the ability of traditional protection schemes to
bution networks (DNs), due to the integration of distributed achieve required sensitivity and speed of fault detection, as
generation (DG), has become a significant area of focus and well as selectivity and security of fault section location.
research for power engineers. To achieve high penetration of
DGs in the DNs, new methods of achieving desired sensitivity, Many researchers have proposed solutions to solve micro-
selectivity, and security of fault detection and coordination grids’ protection issues, and new approaches continuously
must be adopted. Recent literature shows that superimposed evolve. The methods differ by network complexity, type,
sequence components offer great potential in fault detection and capacity, DG connection, and the available measurements
coordination in such DNs. This paper reviews different proposed
solutions to fault detection and coordination in microgrids using and infrastructure reliability. However, the common goal of
superimposed sequence quantities. It also includes a discussion protection schemes is to achieve fast, selective, and sensitive
on their application methods, unique advantages, and limitations. protection most economically and efficiently.
This way, it contributes to existing reviews on microgrid protec-
tion by presenting the unique considerations necessary for the Some solutions build on conventional protection schemes,
superimposed method, as well the way conventional protection while others apply novel techniques and methods. The con-
schemes can be improved for microgrid protection using this ventional protection schemes have been updated by includ-
method. Results from applying a new approach for detecting ing the detailed model of IIDGs [7] and considering their
faults based on superimposed negative sequence admittance control strategy [8]. Impedance-based protection schemes, for
is presented to demonstrate the application of superimposed
quantities in fault detection. instance [9], [10], detect the faults using new measurement
Index Terms—Active distribution network, distributed gener- quantities and communication systems. The rapid development
ation (DG), microgrid protection, superimposed sequence com- of communication techniques in distribution networks has
ponent, low voltage ride-through (LVRT) made efficient information exchange possible resulting in the
protection schemes like multi-agent-based current-differential
I. I NTRODUCTION protection, wide area protection schemes, etc. [11]. The issue
The global electric power system is going through a tran- of data transmission bandwidth and synchronization makes
sition mainly because of the changing landscape of energy such methods uneconomical for distribution systems. The
policy and the economics of distributed generations (DGs). traveling wave (TW) based protection schemes presented in
This has resulted in the proliferation of renewable energy [12] detect the fault by comparing the time of initial traveling
resources throughout the power system. The active distribution waves. However, this approach is considered not well-suited
networks (ADNs) and microgrids are the cornerstones of for short feeders, and some non-fault events might affect
future smart power grids [1], [2]. An effective protection the TW. With adaptive protection schemes [13], [14], the
system is a prerequisite for any power system operation. An relay settings are automatically readjusted in response to
ideal protection scheme for a microgrid protects it from all system conditions. However, the pre-assessment of all possible
types of faults, works for both modes of operations: grid- configurations is challenging to achieve, and implementation
connected, and islanded and can adapt to the plug-and-play cost is very high. Several voltage-independent fault detection
functionality [3]. methods are presented in [15]–[17], where there is no voltage
The new challenges faced by conventional protective relays measurement. Latest developments in areas of computation
in active distribution networks have been identified and ex- and data analytics, with communication, enabled the innova-
tensively discussed [3]–[5]. These challenges are generally as tive protection schemes based on feed-forward neural networks
a result of the the bi-directional flow of both load and fault [18].
currents, the different types of distributed energy resources A set of quantities that seem to offer great potential for
in the network, and the dynamic nature of microgrids with effective fault detection are the superimposed sequence com-
constantly changing topology and operation modes leading ponents, also known as the incremental fault components,
to variation of fault currents. Also, due to the rating of the which have been employed in transmission systems for many
inverters, fault current contribution of inverter-interfaced DGs decades. They have the advantage of not being influenced
(IIDGs) is limited to about 1.2pu in steady state [6]. These by the load conditions in the pre-fault and faulted states.
Hence, both the magnitude and angle of such incremental
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of quantities can be applied in various schemes to provide a fast,
Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under sensitive, and selective method of detecting faults and fault
the Solar Energy Technologies Office Award Number DE-EE0002243-2144.
The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the locations in microgrids. This paper reviews the schemes that
U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government. employ superimposed fault quantities and assesses their unique
B. Simulation Results
Simulation studies were carried out on the test system in
Fig. 4 to demonstrate the performance of the ∆Y2 method
for detecting usually elusive open-phase faults. The system is
a simple 10/0.4kV microgrid that connects a 13.2 + j3.14Ω Fig. 5. ∆Y2 evaluated by Relay A
load and a 0.01 + j0.01MVA IIDG to the main grid. The DG
response is simulated using PQ control as modeled in [47].
Relays A and B are positioned at Buses B1 and B2. Open-
phase faults are applied at F1 (load side), F2 (Bus B2) and
F3 (Bus B1) at t=0.08s in each case. Considering the normal
operation for this network |∆Y2 | setting can be set to be not
less than 30 for a faulted case. This allows a significant margin
for normal operation. To compensate for the the protected line,
φ is set at 14◦ for relay B and 27.5◦ for relay A.
A commonly used method of identifying an open-phase is
the amount of current imbalance [48]. It is shown in [46], by
analyzing the sequence networks of a one-phase open-fault,
that for a system grounded at both sides of the open-phase,
|I2 | will be about 50% to 100% of |I1 |, depending on the
Fig. 6. ∆Y2 evaluated by Relay B
zero sequence impedance, Z0 . In the case where one side of
the open-phase is ungrounded, |I2 | will be almost equal to |I1 |
since I0 will be zero. Thus, for this demonstration α = |I2 /I1 | not have a reliable constant value as a threshold for protection
is the starting criterion for the open-phase detection and it has elements [49], [50].
a setting of 0.2. The angular characteristics of superimposed fault compo-
Fig.5 and Fig.6 show the operation of the relays A and B nents were also studied in [32]. It was observed that the phase
respectively in response to the series faults. As it can be seen, angles of superimposed impedances vary with fault positions,
both relays correctly detect the direction of faults in all cases. affecting the performance of superimposed component-based
|∆Y2 | is about 50.6 for forward faults. But reverse faults has a directional solutions.
smaller magnitude of about 0.82. The phase angle, arg {∆Y2 }
provides an even clearer distinction between the forward and VI. C ONCLUSION
reverse faults, with about 154◦ in the forward direction and The goals of achieving large scale integration of DGs and
−13◦ in the reverse. The starting criteria, α, operates correctly reliable operation of microgrids require protection systems that
in all cases with a value of between 0.47 and 0.54. can adequately address the new challenges DGs pose to distri-
To observe the influence of the infeed by the DG, the results bution network protection. A review of different proposed pro-
obtained when the DG is disconnected were also considered. tection schemes based on superimposed quantities is carried
Simulation results show values of 50.6 and 153.4◦ for |∆Y2 | out in this paper. It has been established that these quantities
and arg {∆Y2 } respectively. Thus it can be realized from the can be applied to both conventional and novel schemes to
results in the previous paragraph, that in this case, the infeed improve selectivity, sensitivity and security of the protection.
does not affect the performance of the element. These applications have varying limitations in terms of specific
fault types or modes of operation. Ongoing research also
V. D ISADVANTAGES OF S UPERIMPOSED S EQUENCE
shows that the efficacy of these quantities are significantly
Q UANTITIES
affected by the inverter control strategies of IIDGs.
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