This thesis explores the application of the Virtual Test Bed (VTB) and its real-time extension, VTB-RT, for protective relay modeling, simulation, and testing. An instantaneous overcurrent relay model was developed in VTB for a transmission line protection. The same relay model was built in Matlab/Simulink for validation purposes. Both models were tested for various fault conditions on a radial power system and results were compared. Moreover, a low cost real-time Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulation platform was implemented for relay model testing using VTB-RT and public domain software packages such as Real-Time Application Interface (RTAI), Comedi, and Comedilib, and notebook computer hardware. The applicability of VTB-RT was verified through an open-loop simulation and a HIL simulation of a simple dynamic system using dSPACE as the control hardware and NI DAQCard-6062E as the input/output interface. Simulation results are presented showing the effectiveness of the VTB-RT platform for model testing.

Submitted by Emanuel Varela Cardoso (emanuel.varela@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-08-13T16:41:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 FRANCISCO DAS CHAGAS SOUZA JÚNIOR – TESE (PPGEEI) 2016.pdf: 4537364 bytes, checksum: 1696c9bd2456c0caad5ee6e61bcb7ca4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-13T16:41:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FRANCISCO DAS CHAGAS SOUZA JÚNIOR – TESE (PPGEEI) 2016.pdf: 4537364 bytes, checksum: 1696c9bd2456c0caad5ee6e61bcb7ca4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-05 / Uma técnica auto-adaptativa que torna a obtenção dos ajustes de coordenação de relés de sobre corrente instantânea para sistemas de distribuição uma tarefa automática, sem a necessidade de intervenção humana e nem a interrupção do fornecimento de energia elétrica ou do monitoramento da rede é proposta. Usando uma arquitetura distribuída, formada por três camadas conectadas através de canal de comunicação, modificações topológicas como entrada/saída de linhas, e/ou nos perfis de carga e geração do sistema elétrico terão seus efeitos automaticamente refletidas nos ajustes dos dispositivos de proteção. O método proposto usa a corrente de carga como item principal para a determinação dos ajustes das unidades instantâneas de sobre corrente em redes de distribuição de média tensão com e sem apresentação geração distribuída. Por meio do cálculo online dos equivalentes de rede a técnica proposta necessita de baixos níveis de intervenção humana para a realização dos estudos de coordenação e seletividade. Os resultados obtidos comprovam a viabilidade técnica da metodologia proposta e corrobora com o estado da arte no tocante ao desenvolvimento das redes elétricas inteligentes. / A self-adaptive technique that improves the instantaneous overcurrent relay settings determination an automatic task, without human intervention neither interruption on electric supply or grid monitoring is proposed. An architecture designed by three layers connected using a communication channel provides that modificationon power electric grid as connection/disconnection of transmissionlines, and/or on generator or load profiles will be automatically reflected on protective device settings. Load current has been used to determine the reach of instantaneous over current relay settings in a médium voltage distribution system considering cases with and without distributed generation connected on the grid. The possibility of online determination at Thevenin equivalent circuit low human interventions to execute coordination study. Obtained results demonstrate the viability of proposed technique an dincrease with state of art a bout improvements of smart electric grids.