A new efficient setting method for protective devices in distribution systems using heuristic rules

Setting protective devices in the power distribution system involves a lot of trial and error to find the most desirable solution. This paper discusses the nature of the problem and proposes a heuristic rules-guided search method achieving the high efficiency in setting and coordination. Heuristic rules developed in this study utilize pattern information of backup and primary combination. Effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through many tests on real systems.