Chapter 6 - Protection of microgrids

Abstract

This chapter addresses one of the challenging issues in microgrid operation which is their protection. The chapter first introduces what a protection system is in general and what the main requirements for the protection of microgrids are. The differences between the protection of microgrids and a conventional distribution network are also elaborated. The conventional protection schemes and their applicability in microgrids are discussed with a special focus on overcurrent, differential, and distance protections. The relatively new and unseasoned voltage-based and centralized protection schemes are also briefly discussed. Then there is a discussion of advanced approaches such as adaptive protection and machine learning-based methods. The commonly used configurations and impacts of earthing system in the protection of microgrids are also covered in the later stages of the chapter.