Investigation of protection schemes for flexible distribution of Energy and Storage resources in an industrial microgrid

It is well known that the control schemes of Distributed Energy Resource (DER) have a major influence on protection schemes of both DER and distribution system. In view of that, coordination between the DER controls, DER relays, and distribution system relays is necessary to have a secure and reliable power delivery. Flexible Distribution of EneRgy and Storage resources (FDERS) was a recently proposed concept that is extremely valuable for industrial power systems containing large and fluctuating loads - as it offers several benefits including enhanced controllability, improved system robustness, optimal energy resource deployment and increased lifetime. It has been earlier demonstrated that FDERS can significantly extend the battery replacement times in industrial power systems. As the FDERS makes use of adaptive DER controls, its application is found to also impact the distribution system protection schemes. In this paper, the protection of an industrial microgrid with FDERS is investigated. Several innovative relaying schemes are proposed to mitigate any adverse impact caused during the implementation of FDERS.