DESIGNING A 5G BASED SMART DISTRIBUTION GRID PROTECTION SYSTEM

Abstract

Distribution grid protection, control, and monitoring systems target high levels of safety and reliability and address the need for better state estimation, protection and control schemes. These systems also need to take into account the increase of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) penetration into the power distribution grids. Moreover, the bulk penetration of DERs on distribution grid will have a considerable impact on the global power system stability. Challenges also arise to re-energize customers faster and more efficiently than today. Fault Detection, Isolation, and Service Restoration (FDIR) systems, which utilize real-time data exchange from various Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), would require better communication technologies to this purpose. To mitigate these risks and provide new functionalities, a new paradigm could be considered for the design and operation of power distribution grids if all the devices could be interconnected through secure, reliable, and low latency communication infrastructure. Wired communication technology services fit the FDIR communication requirements but can be expensive and difficult to deploy over the whole area covered by electric networks already in place. Hence, Smart Grids (SGs) can leverage the use of emerging information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as 5G, to become more cost effective. The conducted work proposes a flexible communication architecture based on 5G, providing highly customized communication services according to diverse performance requirements demanded by the future FDIR schemes. It involves the implementation of new protection functions in order to complete the existing monitoring and automation features of the electric system.