Multi-terminal medium voltage DC grids fault location and isolation

作者：Monadi Mehdi^*; Koch Ciobotaru Cosmin; Luna Alvaro; Ignacio Candela Jose; Rodriguez Pedro

来源：IET Generation Transmission & Distribution, 2016, 10(14): 3517-3528.

DOI：10.1049/iet-gtd.2016.0183

• 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

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.

• 出版日期2016-11-4