Detailed analysis of the future distribution network protection issues

This study will present the results of several simulation-based analyses investigating the performance of distribution network protection under a range of future scenarios. It is widely accepted that the integration of a significant amount of distributed generation, often from renewable energy sources and interfaced to the main network via power electronics converters, will be commonplace in the future. Furthermore, at the transmission level, the interconnection of different countries through HVDC links and the decommissioning of many large-scale conventional synchronous generators will result in the power systems becoming progressively weaker in terms of reduced faults level and lower system inertia. This study will, therefore, illustrate and emphasise the challenges and issues that arise in future distribution networks protection due to reduced system strength, fault level and the changing nature of the contribution (both in terms of magnitude and possibly delay in provision) to fault levels and the possible impact this may have on traditional overcurrent-based protection schemes by building a simple model of distribution network in Simulink, MATLAB. In addition to that, the paper will also discuss some potential solutions as novel schemes to tackle the arising protection related problems.