Adaptive Protection of Distribution Systems with DERs Considering Consumer and Generation Profiles

Abstract

Distributed Energy Resources (DER) penetration has a significant impact on the distribution protection system. Current flow during short-circuit and load flow depend on DERs' operating state, generated power, and short-circuits contribution as well as consumer loads. The more DER integration leads to more challenge to maintaining DER, feeder, and substation protections sensitive, selective, with fast response, and optimum reliability. The IEEE 34 Node Test Feeder used and extended by addition of photovoltaic, wind, and energy storage DERs. Consumer loads and DER's generation were extended from static values to typical load and generation profiles, which examined daily, weekly, and seasonal patterns. Protection device settings were calculated selectively in the absence of DERs. Using the method of Protection Security Assessment (PSA), automatically evaluate the correct operation of protection devices in case of different fault scenarios. Three-phase and single-phase metallic faults are applied to validate protection system security. The PSA reassessed DER contribution and influence on protection selectivity. Adaptive rules should fix identified miss-coordinations by modifying protection settings or feeder automation logic. This paper applied adaptive rules to improve protection settings. The PSA method and adaptive rules assumed for implementation in an Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS).