PI: Saeed Lotfifard
Co-PI(s):
Sponsor: US Department of Energy/SETO
Award Amount: $250,000
Project Period: 08/2020 – 07/2023
Summary: We propose to develop an autonomous, adaptive and Secure Distribution Protection (a2SDP) system to meet the protection challenges created by extra high penetration of PV and other DERs. The a2SDP has the following features: (a) protection of all components of the system via setting-less relays which are the ultimately adaptive relays immune to the known issues of distribution systems with high penetration of DERs, i.e. (1) varying/reduced fault currents and direction and (2) changing topologies and characteristics as resources are switched in and out.
(b) detection and protection against down conductors, (c) protection of power electronic interfaces, (d) real time distribution system fault locating, (e) distribution system reconfiguration in real time (fault location, isolation and service restoration (FLISR)), (f) operation of setting-less relays under reduced measurements in case of communication loss, (g) continuous dynamic model validation (feeder, PV, other DERs), and (h) cyber security enhancement by real time intrusion detection and command authentication. The proposed technology will be demonstrated on three feeders with substantial PV penetration (Dominion, Southern Company and Avista), covering three geographical areas with diverse solar patterns.