Multi‐terminal medium voltage DC grids fault location and isolation. Issue 14 (1st November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Monadi, Mehdi; Koch‐Ciobotaru, Cosmin; Luna, Alvaro; Ignacio Candela, Jose; Rodriguez, Pedro
• Is Part Of: IET generation, transmission & distribution. Volume 10:Issue 14(2016)
• Page Start: 3517
• Page End: 3528
• Publication Date: 2016-11-01
• Subjects: power distribution faults -- fault diagnosis -- power grids -- power convertors -- fault currents -- power distribution protection -- fault location -- circuit breakers; multiterminal medium voltage DC grid fault location‐isolation scheme -- voltage source converters -- multiterminal VSC‐based DC networks -- medium voltage DC distribution system protection strategy -- communication‐assisted fault location method -- DC circuit breakers -- backup protection -- communication network -- hardware in the loop approach -- multiterminal DC distribution network protection -- DC fault current; Electric power production -- Periodicals; Electric power transmission -- Periodicals; Electric power distribution -- Periodicals; 621.3105
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-gtd.2016.0183
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-8687

Abstract

Abstract : Voltage source converters (VSCs) are highly vulnerable to DC fault current; thus, protection is one of the most important concerns associated with the implementation of multi‐terminal VSC‐based DC networks. This study proposes a protection strategy for medium voltage DC distribution systems. The strategy consists of a communication‐assisted fault location method and a fault isolation scheme that provides an economic, fast and selective protection by means of using the minimum number of DC circuit breakers. This study also introduces a backup protection which is activated if communication network fails. The effectiveness of the proposed protection strategy is analysed through real‐time simulation studies by use of the hardware‐in‐the‐loop approach. Furthermore, the effects of fault isolation process on the connected loads are also investigated. The results show that the proposed strategy can effectively protect multi‐terminal DC distribution networks and VSC stations against different types of faults.