Adaptive Protection Algorithms for Smart Distribution Systems: Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing and Validation

Renewable energy sources are a great challenge for the future. Our ability to abandon the dependence on traditional sources strictly depends on them. The exploitation of these sources could be performed through an efficient integration of distributed generation units (solar, wind, etc.,) in electrical grids. This process has raised several issues in the global operation of the entire system. One of these issues is related to the possible failure of protection devices in case of fault., jeopardizing the safety of users and equipment. In this paper new methods and algorithms., which could coordinate intelligent protection devices in a smart grid scenario., are presented. The effectiveness of these new protection methodologies was assessed using a simulation of a distribution system (equipped with a distributed generation unit) in a 'hardware-in-the-loop' setup. The protection methods were implemented in the simulation and exploited to efficiently protect the system during fault events.