ADAPTIVE COORDINATION APPROACH OF RECLOSER AND FUSE CONSIDERING THE IMPACT OF PV SOURCES

Abstract

Integrating a large amount of solar power into the distribution grid significantly alters the values and directions of short-circuit currents, affecting the operation of relay protection. This article presents a method for adaptive protection coordinating between reclosers and fuses in a radial distribution grid with PV power integration, especially in the condition of intermittent faults. First of all, the impact of solar power on the working coordination of the recloser and fuse is analyzed in detail. The influence of solar power sources according to their location in the power grid has been taken into account. Next, a method to adaptively adjust the working characteristics of timed overcurrent protection in digital relays is proposed to ensure the coordination of protective devices. Simulation results of the 22 kV distribution grid on Etap software confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method.