A Framework for Assessing the Impact of Operational Uncertainties on the Reliability of Adaptive Microgrid Protection Schemes

• Published in: Arabian journal for science and engineering (2011) Vol. 48; no. 5; pp. 6293 - 6306
• Main Authors: Nakhaee, A. M., Hosseini, S. A., Sadeghi, S. H. H., Nasiri, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.05.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Algorithms; Circuit breakers; Communication; Communications systems; Data transfer (computers); Data transmission; Distributed generation; Engineering; Failure rates; Humanities and Social Sciences; Markov chains; Middleware; Multiagent systems; multidisciplinary; Network topologies; Power flow; Reliability analysis; Research Article-Electrical Engineering; Science; Thermal stress; Uncertainty; Communication link; Uncertainty; Microgrid; Monte Carlo algorithm; Reliability; Adaptive protection
• ISSN: 2193-567X; 1319-8025; 2191-4281
• DOI: 10.1007/s13369-022-07347-7

Online adaptive protection scheme provides an appropriate protection to microgrids for various fault conditions irrespective of bidirectional power flow and changing network topology in a grid-connected or islanded mode of operation. The success of this scheme can, however, be undermined as a result of the operational uncertainties caused by the failure in various components in protection system: namely, communication links and circuit breakers. This paper proposes a framework for assessing the impact of such uncertainties on the reliability of centralized adaptive microgrid protection schemes. It first derives appropriate Markov chain models to describe the dynamic uncertainties associated with lines, communication links, and circuit breakers. The Markov models are then used in a Monte Carlo algorithm to evaluate the reliability indices for an adaptive protection scheme. The proposed framework is tested on a sample microgrid in Simulink-Matlab and Java Agent DEvelopment platform, assuming that the respective communication middleware is carried out by multi-agent and communication simulator. It has been shown that the selection of communication technology in an adaptive protection scheme requires special attention to its failure rate and data transmission bit error as well as data transfer speed. In fact, communication technologies with high failure rate and bit error show poor reliability indices that can cause unwanted delays in fault clearance, particularly when GOOSE time sequence latency is considered in the analysis. Besides, an increase in the fault duration can increase the electromagnetic and thermal stresses inflicted on circuit breakers, further undermining the reliability of the protection system.