The increased prevalence of distributed energy resources and microgrids has led to highly variable fault current levels and system configurations in distribution networks. To improve power system resilience during severe weather events, microgrids can be networked outside of their original boundaries to restore service to additional customers. Traditional protective relaying schemes may not be equipped to handle these contingencies. Optimal Adaptive Protection (OAP) algorithms can provide more robust system protection during such events by monitoring the network for system state changes and modifying protective relay settings in near real-time. In this paper an OAP algorithm is applied to systems from three different utilities, modeled in OPAL-RT, and connected to hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) relays. Restoration scenarios are considered starting from islanded microgrids and returning to normal operating conditions. By incorporating OAP after any network switching event, protection security is improved throughout the restoration process.
The report summarizes the work and accomplishments of DOE SETO funded project 36533 “Adaptive Protection and Control for High Penetration PV and Grid Resilience”. In order to increase the amount of distributed solar power that can be integrated into the distribution system, new methods for optimal adaptive protection, artificial intelligence or machine learning based protection, and time domain traveling wave protection are developed and demonstrated in hardware-in-the-loop and a field demonstration.
This report summarizes a gap analysis resulting from a literature review and expert interviews conducted by subject matter experts from Sandia National Laboratory, Siemens, and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in Spring 2023. The gap analysis consists of two main parts: The fault-ride through (FRT) behavior of grid-forming (GFM) inverter-based resources (IBR) and the response of state-of-the-art protection relays to the fault currents and voltages from GFM IBRs.
