MV distribution protection schemes to reduce customers and DGs interruptions

This work is related to the protection system of distribution networks. Radial MV distribution grids can be protected by a single relay placed at the beginning of the feeder. But the future operation of distribution grids turning into Smart Grids will surely impose more complex operations. Therefore a more advanced protection scheme could be needed and could include several protection relays on a same MV feeder. The main purpose of this work is to investigate how the protection relays could work (on what kind of measurements are based the protection decisions, how to coordinate the relays) and analyze the limits of such new protection schemes. Since the goal is to insert several protections that divide the grid into smaller sections, the proposed protection system would therefore disconnect fewer loads and producers. This should enhance the SAIDI and Energy Not Supplied criteria. This paper presents a solution for a radial MV grid faced to single-phased faults.