Overcurrent Protection Issues in Microgrid

Overcurrent Protection issues in Microgrid
Introduction:
The electrical system is very crucial in modern worlds because now a day’s power can be generated by
using both Conventional Power Plant and Microgrids.
Conventional Power Plant:

Conventional Power Plant is a general term applied to the production of electrical energy from coal, oil, or natural
gas using the intermediary of steam. In this method generating station cannot be installed near the load side
because of environmental constraints as well as source limitation. These methods have some challenges are
there:
Challenges:
 Decrease of fossil fuel resources.
 Increase in Green house emission.
 Power is lost in the transmission line.
Some Experts were searched alternating solution for this limitation, then after many struggles lot of engineers
work on and find out the solution called Microgrid.
Microgrid:
A microgrid is a localized independent group of interconnected distributed energy resources and loads within
clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity concerning the grid. A microgrid can
connect and disconnect from the grid to enable it to operate in both grids connected or islanded mode. This
method has several advantages like reducing transmission losses, reduce global warming, etc., as well as that
many amounts of Challenges, are also there.
 Need Harmonic reduction methods

 Maintain voltage and frequency should be an acceptable limit
 Low inertia
But in this article, we will see about overcurrent protection settings & coordination problem in Microgrid and
simulate in ETAP. Before going to Overcurrent protection issues I like to begin with a small intro about
Overcurrent Protection.
Overcurrent Protection:
Over-current relay has a single input in the form of AC current, the output of the relay is normally open contact
whenever the input current of the relay is more than the setting value (Pickup) and beyond the setting Time
(TMS), the contact change over from normally open to normally close then the trip signal goes to the circuit
breaker.
Inverse Definite Minimum Time (IDMT) is the characteristic of the protection relay which means that the current
seen by the relay and the time takes to trip the circuit breaker is inverse proportional. In other words, a current-
operated relay produces an inverse time-current characteristic by integrating a function of current F (I)
concerning Time. The function F (I) is positive above and negative below a predetermined input current called
the Pickup current. The current goes above the value the relay became to start the Time Dial.
Protection issues
Microgrid protection is a most important and challenging issue. Protection of microgrid means that lines,
distributed generation, loads, and lines are protected. Microgrid operations conditions are changes constantly
like Grid-connected or islanding modes. Based on operating condition flow of power should changes, as well as
Magnitude and direction of the short circuit, it causes nuisance tripping in the protection it would main issues in
protection system
Modification in fault current level

Device discrimination
Direction Power Flow
Islanding
Selectivity
These are some causes of protection issues occur when system run with some Distributed Generators.
Modification in fault current level:

Whenever the rotating machines (Distributed Generators) are connected to the distributed network it changes the
fault current level because all the rotating machine (Without converter based) contribute fault current up to 6.5
times of full load current. It will affect the pickup current and tripping time of the protection relay; sometimes
converter interfaced rotating machines are limiting the fault current to a lower value. As fault current is not high
as compared to load current, some of the relays do not trip, others that respond to fault with time delay. The
undetected fault spread out in the system and can damage the equipment.
Distributed generators are connected in parallel to the network it causes decreases the fault impedance. In this
network, the placement relay is very important if any mistake occurs in the placement of the relay it will affect the
coordination of the relay because of the direction of the fault current.
Device Discrimination
In-network the placement of distributed Generator play an important role in the contribution of fault current
magnitude. For example, if distributed generator places an end of the network, fault current should be decreased
with an increase in distance as well as an increase in impedance. Or if the distributed generator is placed close
to the network the contribution of the fault current is increase because of the decrease in the distance, which will
affect the protection coordination in the system.
Direction of Power Flow

In conventional power system to connected microgrid, it arises a big problem in the protection system, because it
does not determine the direction of the power flow whenever DG is connected into the system the flow of power
become changes, as well as the flow of power, would vary for time and based on generation.it will directly affect
the current magnitude and direction.
Islanding
When a network continuously runs with grid-connected mode, in case of some of the reasons the network
became islanding. If the fault current would vary widely based on network condition because varying the fault
current would affect the pickup current and tripping time on the relay.
Selectivity
The protection system is said to be selective if the protection device closest to the fault operates to remove the
faulty Section. Without DG, there is power flow in only one direction, during normal operating conditions as well
as when there is the fault, by using time graded overcurrent relays selectivity can be obtained. When DG is
integrated with the grid, this system becomes inadequate. There is the possibility of disconnection of the healthy
feeder by its protective relay because it contributes to the short circuit current flowing through a fault in the
neighboring feeder. The tripping current for the electrical protective device is between maximum load current and
minimum fault current. Fault current and load current depends upon the state of the grid, the state of distributed
generators, and whether the microgrid is operating in islanded mode.
Case Study:
The purpose of the particular case studies is to show the protection issues based on different operating
conditions. In this case study, I would like to simulate two operating conditions and see the flow of power as well
as the contribution of short circuit current. Operating conditions like Grid Connected without renewable sources
and with renewable sources, in renewable sources like wind turbines and PV. Considered 9 Bus System as my
Case Study
Single Line Diagram:
Normal Condition:
In a normal condition there is no renewable sources are come into picture in that time fault current at all the
buses are seen in given diagram below:
During this Normal condition the fault current at Bus 8 is 3.808kA and Bus 5 is 3.587kA, Protection setting like
Pickup and Time delay of all the relays could be properly coordinate based on this fault current.
Normal Condition with Microgrid:

In this case, adding the 10MW wind turbine and 10 MW PV plant in that system if affects the entire power flow in
that system it can be shown in a given diagram
And it will affect the short circuit current because that wind turbine generator is not an inverter based it generator
it contribute 6.5 times of full load current and PV plant does not produce that much amount of fault current
because it is inverter based it contribute only 1.5 times of full load current.so if see the fault current at Sources
connected bus it would be change from 3.808kA to 6.258kA at bus 8 and 3.587kA to 4.296kA at bus 5 (Refer
diagram is given below) it affect the pickup current and coordination of the relay at present protection settings.
In Bar graph number represent in X axis is number of buses and number represent in Y axis is Fault current in
Kilo Amps.
6
Fault Cuttent(kA)
4 GRID ALONE
GRID + WIND + SOLAR
3
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
BUSES
Possible Solutions for Protection Issues:

There are lots of solutions available to overcome protection challenges based on network condition, Based on
operating conditions, based on power flows are included.
Inverter Controlled Design
Use Inverter interfaced distributed generators that limit the fault current it does not contribute too much of fault
current based on different operating conditions the fault current would not vary as well as it does not disturb the
present setting of the relay as well coordination also does not affected.
Adaptive Protection Scheme

Adaptive Protection scheme solves the protection problem in varies operating condition like Grid connected or
islanding modes as well as varies fault current. In adaptive protection system there is automatically readjustment
the protection setting when micro grid changes from grid connected mode to islanded mode and from islanded
mode to grid connected mode. Adaptive protection is an online system that modifies preferred protective
response to change in system conditions or requirements in timely manner by means of external generated
signals or control actions. For practical implementation of adaptive protection system make use of numerical
directional overcurrent relay with several setting groups. For effective protection use of communication system
and standard communication protocol such those individuals’ relays can communicate and transfer the
information with a central computer or between different individual relays.
Conclusion:
Various Protection Issues are arises when distributed generators are connected to the main grid everything we
are discussed in above. The main reasons for protection is variation of fault current based on different types on
operating modes. The best solution to overcome all the protection issue is called Adaptive Protection.
Reference:
 A.Oudalov and A. Fidigatti, “Adaptive network protection in microgrids,” International Journal of Distributed
Energy Source, vol.4, pp. 201–205, 2009.
 C.Stefinia, R. Lorenzo, and V. Umberto, “Analysis of protection issues in autonomous MV microgrids,” in

Proc.of Power conversion conference ,Nagoya, 20th International Conference on Electricity Distribution ,
pp.1-5, June 2009.

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Overcurrent Protection issues in Microgrid

Conventional Power Plant:

 Need Harmonic reduction methods

Modification in fault current level

Modification in fault current level:

Direction of Power Flow

Normal Condition with Microgrid:

Possible Solutions for Protection Issues:

Adaptive Protection Scheme

 C.Stefinia, R. Lorenzo, and V. Umberto, “Analysis of protection issues in autonomous MV microgrids,” in

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