The growth of Distributed Energy Resources is accelerating, causing significant changes in utility distribution systems due to the bidirectionality of power flow. As a result, protection systems will require upgrades to operate with these new requirements. The current-only directional relay (CODR) is a novel proposal that detects the direction of fault currents without the need for new devices, but instead upgrades the software logic of existing devices, making it a cost-effective solution. This work provides a complete description of how to implement a hardware testbed to review the CODR method. Findings show that CODR performs successfully in a real environment, but its algorithm needs to be upgraded if used in distribution systems where lines have a non-negligible resistive component. / Master of Science / The use of renewable energy sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines, is growing rapidly. This is causing changes in the way electricity is distributed, as power can now flow in both directions. To keep up with these changes, the systems that protect the electricity grid need to be updated. One cost-effective solution is to use a new type of relay, called the current-only directional relay (CODR), which can detect the direction of fault currents without the need for new devices. This work describes how to test the CODR method using a hardware testbed. The results show that the CODR performs well in a real environment, but its algorithm needs to be updated for use in certain types of distribution systems.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/116170 |
| Date | 30 August 2023 |
| Creators | Vivent Barahona, Francisco Javier |
| Contributors | Electrical Engineering, Centeno, Virgilio A., Kekatos, Vasileios, De La Reelopez, Jaime |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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