Project Details
This research will expand on the existing dynamic protection planning simulation tools to demonstrate a real-time protection coordination hardware simulation platform. The short-term goal of this project is to demonstrate protection devices that automatically set and coordinate, with both local and remote terminals, through the use of an internally integrated hardware-based power system simulator. Long term goal is that this protection system will be able to adaptively coordinate for multiple contingencies; high penetration of renewable generation, series compensated lines, and provide secure selective protection scheme for power system disturbances. The combination of the protective device that can adaptively set and coordinate along with a wide area power system simulator. The system simulator should receive the real-time status of the system circuit breakers and should provide the needed speed and model accuracy for rapidly re-coordinating the system during system events, which would require adaptive protection. This system will be interfaced with the commercially available protection and planning simulation software to provide the utility interface to the system study models.
Cross-cutting research on protection is difficult for the industry due to the compartmentalized nature of the utility space. Stakeholders responsible for protection are often separate from stakeholders responsible for operation. Similarly, transmission, distribution and generation protection are usually handled by completely different organizations. While relay manufacturers are not subject to the same regulations as utilities, vendor development is driven by the customer need, so R&D efforts of the vendors tend to reflect the same compartmentalized approach.
