Validation of fast and selective protection scheme for an LVDC distribution network

Low Voltage Direct Current (LVDC) distribution systems are one of the emerging technologies to recently attract attention for more efficient use of energy, and wider uptake of distributed renewables and energy storage. They do however present significant fault protection and safety challenges, which are not possible to address without using advanced protection techniques. Therefore, this paper considerably reviews these key challenges, and presents experimental results of prototyping an advanced protection scheme developed to help enable LVDC distribution networks for utility applications. The developed scheme is a DC current direction-based using multiple intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) relays in combination with controllable solid-state circuit breakers to detect and locate DC faults, and provide selective protection tripping within sub-millisecond timescales. A scaled laboratory demonstrator that emulates an LVDC distribution network is used as a test platform. It allows the characterisation of the transient behaviour for various fault conditions and locations. The developed protection algorithm is implemented in LabVIEW, and its performance against such fault conditions is tested within this environment

Improved voltage-based protection scheme for an LVDC distribution network interfaced by a solid state smart transformer

The increasing electrification of transport and heat will place increasing demand on low voltage (LV) networks with the potential to overload medium voltage (MV)/LV transformers and LV cables. Deployment of a solid-state transformer (SST) at MV/LV substations and using LV direct current (LVDC) distribution systems offer great potential to address such challenges. However, the SST deployment in addition to the introduction of LVDC will fundamentally change LV fault behaviour and protection requirements due to the limited short-circuit capabilities of such technologies. The SST will deliver limited fault currents, making current-based protection (widely used in LV networks) less reliable. Therefore, this study presents an advanced communication-less protection scheme which can effectively detect and locate DC faults even with reduced fault levels. The developed protection scheme overcomes the selectivity limitations in LVDC voltage-based protection solutions by using a combination of DC voltage magnitude, voltage concavity (sign of d2v/dt2) and the sign of the rate of change of current (di/dt) regardless of the current magnitudes. The credibility of the developed protection algorithm is tested against different fault scenarios applied on an active LVDC network model built in PSCAD/EMTDC. Noise signals have been included in the simulation to appraise the resilience of the developed scheme

An advanced protection scheme for enabling an LVDC last mile distribution network

Low voltage direct current (LVDC) distribution systems have the potential to support future realisation of smart grids and enabling of increased penetration of distributed renewables, electric vehicles, and heat pumps. They do however present significant protection challenges that existing schemes based on DC fuses and conventional electro-mechanical circuit breakers (EMCBs) cannot manage due to the nature of DC faults and slow device performance. Therefore, this paper presents an advanced protection scheme that addresses the outstanding challenges for protecting an LVDC last mile distribution network. The scheme takes advantage of advanced local measurements and communications that will be naturally integrated in smart grids, and the excellent level of controllability of solid state circuit breakers. It thus provides fast DC fault detection and interruption during DC transient periods in addition to achieving fault limitation and fast reliable restoration. The introductory part of the paper quantifies the potential benefits of LVDC last mile distribution networks, and discusses the potential LVDC architectures that best utilise the existing plant. Based on the new LVDC architectures, a typical UK LV network is energised using DC and modelled, and used as a case study for investigating the protection issues and evaluating the new protection scheme performance through simulation