Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Innovations in green energy sources (GESs), which include renewable energy sources and energy storage systems, come with fresh challenges in power system protection and control. Thus, the following research areas will be investigated. 1. Directional Overcurrent Protection: The main protection challenge of modern distribution systems (such as microgrids) is due to the unconventional and limited fault currents from GESs, which are unlike the conventional fault currents from synchronous generators (SGs). Thus, this research area aims at utilizing GES controllers to alleviate this problem by developing novel short-circuit calculation and optimal protection coordination schemes. Further, protection coordination indices will be developed to allow electric utilities to plan for integrating new GESs with minimal impact on protection coordination. 2. Selective Phase Tripping: Phase selection methods (PSMs) make protection relays trip only faulty phase(s), i.e., selective phase tripping (SPT). Significant differences between GES and SG fault current signatures can cause the malfunction of existing PSMs. This research will address this problem by developing complementary protection and control solutions such that (1) existing PSMs operate precisely in the presence of GESs, (2) GES controllers meet grid code (GC) requirements to support the grid during faults, (3) GES converters are protected from overcurrent, and their dynamic performance is enhanced. 3. Distance Protection: Distance relays can be severely impacted by fault ride-through (FRT) methods and the reactive current generation requirements by modern GCs. Thus, GESs can cause unreliable relay impedance measurements, which impairs the operation of distance relays. This research area will develop new FRT methods and controllers for GESs, such as wind farms and photovoltaic power plants, to provide ancillary services to distance relays, leading to accurate impedance measurement without the need for relay communication or upgrades. Impact: This research program will integrate the following features into modern power systems. (1) Cost-effective microgrid protection: The failure probability of relays in microgrids will be diminished, preventing the massive financial losses associated with undetected faults and prolonged outages and the use of communication-assisted protection relays. (2) Enhanced system resiliency and reliability: PSMs will operate precisely in the presence of various types of GESs. Precise PSMs can reduce outage time and frequency by two-thirds for line-to-ground faults and one-third for faults involving two phases. (3) Seamless integration of GESs: High penetration levels of GESs can be integrated seamlessly without any adverse impacts on deployed protection relays, saving the huge costs that stem from replacing protection relays and implementing relay communication. The industrial beneficiaries include Canadian utilities, relay manufacturers, and the GES industry.