IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid Engineering (SGE12)

UOIT, Oshawa, ON, Canada, 27-29 August, 2012

Analysis of Microgrid Protection Strategies

Md Razibul Islam, Hossam A.Gabbar
Faculty of Energy system and Nuclear Science
University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Canada
Email: hossam.gabbar@uoit.ca

Abstract- Microgids have been proposed to improve

reliability and stability of electrical system and to
ensure power quality of modern grid. In this paper,
different protection strategies are investigated for
adaptive safety protection. It is essential to protect a
Microgrid in both the grid-connected and the
islanded mode of operation against all different
types of faults. This paper describes Microgrid
protection and safety concept with central control
and monitoring unit where multifunctional
intelligent digital relay could be used. This central
control & monitoring infrastructure is used for
adaptive relay settings strategy for Microgrid
protection. Also FPGA based decision making is
proposed for Microgrid protection to shortening
response time and ensure adaptive protection.

Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)

could be used for faster and corrected fault
detection for Microgrid protection. Modern
FPGA is fast enough to reduce fault detection
time which could be an advantage for Microgrid dynamic operation and protection[17].
II. Microgrid Architecture
Modern Microgrid architecture assumes an
aggregation of Distributed Generation, Storage
system and load operating as a single system
providing both electric power and heat. To
insure controlled operation and required
flexibility majority of the Micro sources must
have power electronic based interface.

Keywords: Microgrid (MG), Distributed Generator

(DG), Microgrid Central Control (MCC)

I. Introduction
Microgrid comprise with small scale
power system with distributed generators,
energy storages and bunch of loads [1]. With
the development of different renewable energy
resources and energy storages system the
microgrid has attracted more and more concern
due to its special features.
In conventional distributed grid the
protection system is designed assuming
unidirectional power flow. Due to bidirectional
power flow option and power electronic (PE)
interface of modern distributed generator lead
to a number of challenges in Microgrid
protection. One of the major challenges of
Microgrid protection system is it must respond
to both island and grid connected faults [1-13].
Integration of Distributed Generators to the
grid change fault current level and direction of
the Microgrid. Due to dynamic structure of
Microgrid, special attention is required for
protection [14-16].

Fig. 1 Microgrid Architecture

A typical Microgrid architecture is shown

in figure 1. The key point of the Microgrid
architecture include the interface, load sharing
during islanding, Micro source protection,
power flow control, Grid protection, control
stability, and over all operation.
60-1

Micro-source Controller (MC), Load

Controller (LC) and Protection are three main
function of this architecture. In order to assure
robust control Microgrid control system is
based on hierarchical control architecture [1].
Microgrid Central Controller (MGCC) is
used for the upper level of the MG operation
through some crucial technical & economical
functions. Each Micro-source, storage devices
and electrical load are locally controlled by
Micro-source Controller (MC) as second
hierarchical control level.
Based on technical and economical
requirement MGCC provide set point to MC
and LC. MC acts for the control of the MS
active and reactive power production whereas
LC act to control each load or a group of load
based on an interrupt ability concept.
III. Protection of Microgrid
3.1 Microgrid Safety Model for Protection
Safety analysis is important in Microgrid
protection and their fault analysis. Proper safety
model provides appropriate level of confidence
in protection system.
The intelligent control and monitoring unit
need to meet the safety requirements which
provide on basis of safety design criteria.
Proposed operational safety of Microgrid is
shown in figure 2. Central control and
protection system should design to ensure
required safety. Microgrid hazard analysis
might include to design safety system and
based on hazard level different safety threshold
is settled. For Microgrid safety design there are
six parameters need to consider which are
shown in figure 2.

system equipments. Second is selectivity,

when fault detected in a system based on
voltage, current and power direction fault zone
is determined. In order to minimize fault
consequence, the protection/control system
should disconnect only the faulted part
(Disconnect smallest possible part containing
the fault). Third one is speed, in order to avoid
damage to equipment and maintain stability
protective relay should respond in the least
possible time in any abnormal condition. This
is very important from safety point of views.
The security level should be high, all the
abnormal conditions/ events of power system
are not fault. So protection/control system
should operate only when required to operate,
reject all abnormal events and transients those
are not fault. And the protection system should
be designed to avoid misoperation while itself
experiencing a credible failure. There should
have redundancy options, redundant system are
planned and referred as backup protection to
ensure level of safety. The protection system
should have redundant functionalities of relays
to improve system reliability and safety.
Different protection principle could be
combining to reach protection redundancy. The
reliability should be high, modern power
system with distributed generator becoming
more dynamic structure, so now reliability
becomes important topic in control and
protection system analysis. Based on different
system condition there should have option for
different relay setting. To improve modern
protection and control system reliability and
faster restoration of outage, we can use
microprocessor based distribution relay or
digital relay.

Fig. 2 Operational Safety of Microgrid

The first one is sensitivity, there should

have
nominal
threshold
value
and
control/protection system able to identify any
abnormal condition. This nominal value should
be set considering safety level of all power

Fig. 3 Microgrid Safety Design Model

Proper safety model provides appropriate

level of confidence in protection system. In this
section defense in depth philosophy is proposed
which could apply for Micro Grid safety design
as figure 3. Characteristics of safety design
criteria might be illustrated as following ways.
Need to consider inherent robustness while
Micro Grid safety designs. The design should
have sufficient safety margin against lighting
protection, grounding connection, insulation,
voltage/frequency deviation, short circuit,
tripped out, isolation time etc.
Assure extensive quality to function as
designed. One of the most vital defence in
depth barrier is quality assurance. Safety design
of Micro Grid should meet engineering
requirements and standard.
Maintain safety design through the life of
the Micro Grid testing and inspection is
important. This includes operating set point and
protective equipment response time.
Operation of Micro Grid by trained personnel
to follow policies and procedure to control
component failure event with good information
system and data analysis.
There should have provision of redundant
automatic protection for Micro Grid design.
This must respond to any electrical
malfunctions to prevent damage of incorrect
electrical configurations.
3.2 Microgrid Protection Analysis
One of the major challenges of Microgrid
protection system is it must respond to both
island and grid connected faults. In the first
case the protection system should isolate the
smallest part of the Microgrid when clears the
fault. In the second case the protection system
should isolate the Microgrid from the main grid
as rapidly as necessary to protect the Microgrid
loads [1-3].
Fault current of Microgrid vary with different
operating mode and fault scenarios and conventional protection scheme is not sufficient to
tackle these issue. Some of the prominent protections issues are: short circuit power, fault
current level and direction, device discrimination, reduction in reach of over-current relays,
nuisance tripping, protection blinding, etc.
[16-17].
In conventional network, power flows from
higher voltage level to lower voltage level and
in case of fault short circuit current decrease as

distance increase. Modern Microgrid has been

changed the concept and power could flow in
both direction. Estimation of fault current in
Microgrid is not an easy task which depends in
DG type. Figure 4 shows that fault current
could flow downstream with the contribution of
DGs.

Fig. 4 Microgrid Fault Current Contribution

When different type of Distributed

resource connected to Microgrid and Utility
grid, the DR contribute fault current to the
system and the contribution level depends on
Distribution resource type. To ensure safe
operation of Microgrid the protection
equipment should be updated accordingly.
So the dynamic structure of Microgrid and their
various operating conditions required the
development of adaptive protection strategies.
Central control unit communicate with all
relays and Distributed Generators in the
Microgrid to record their status as ON/OFF,
their rated current and their fault current
contribution.

Fig. 5 Microgrid protection system infrastructure

Communicate with relay is required to update

the operating current and to detect the direction
of the fault currents and thus mitigate the fault
properly. The control unit also records the
status of utility grid as connected or Microgrid
is islanded for adaptive protection.
An example of intelligent protection system is
shown in figure 5. Here Microgrid central
controller (MCC) and monitoring system is
included in conventional protection system.
MCC is carried out by a programmable logic
control ler (PLC), a station computer sitting in
MV/LV substation. The function of
communication electronics is to make each
circuit breaker with an integrated over current
relay capable of exchanging information with
MCC [6].
MCC can read data (electrical value, status)
from CBs if necessary it can modify relay
settings. When any abnormal condition is
detected a tripping condition is checked, if
tripping condition is reached a CB is open.

between the real-time measured process

variable and trip threshold which is shown in
figure 6. Modern FPGA based decision could
shorten the time interval between fault
occurrence and diagnostics [19].

3.3 FPGA based Decision Making for

Microgrid Protection
As Microgrids are very complex and dynamic
system, shortening fault diagnosis time one of
the important matter for protection.
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) could
be used for faster and corrected fault detection
for Microgrid protection. Modern FPGA is fast
enough to reduce fault detection time [17].
Figure 6 shows the FPGA based decision making for trip signal.

Fig. 7 Microgrid protection system with Fault Analysis

Fig. 6 Logic Process for Microgrid Protection

In Microgrid there have many protection relay

connected with different buses, sources and
load terminals. For Microgrid Protection
adaptive relay settings are very important. The
logic for the relay settings basically comparison

IV. Adaptive Protection Scenarios

For fault analysis we assume Microgrid with
distributed energy resource switched on the
grid. Let assume there is a considerable change
in Microgrid and status of distributed energy
resource.

SWB4 and SWB5 is disconnected for a

maintenance work and SWB5 and SWB6 are
supplied via SWB3 (CB3.2 and CB6.2 are
closed) which is shown in figure 7 from
reference 2. Two identical distributed
generators are connected with SWB1 and
SWB6 [appendix of 2]
Now we analyze the fault between SWB1 and
SWB2 (Figure 7), it is required to isolate the
fault from the main grid side by CB1.2 and
there is no selectivity and detection problem,
also because the fault current seen by CB1.2
becomes higher Ikmax = 15 kA (Figure 8) in
the base case due to a contribution from the
distributed resource in SWB1. CB2.1 is seen 2
KA fault current supplied by second distributed
generator in SWB6. It can only activate the L
part of the relays trip curve with the expected
tripping time delay of 40 s. So, by the
(follow-me) function of CB1.2, CB2.1 is
opened and isolates the fault from the LV
feeder side in ts=150 ms [2].
Here noticeable thing is ts 150 ms set for the
OC relay in CB1.2 which may affect a stability
of the distributed generator with a small inertia
in SWB1. For all relay in the Microgrid the
time delay ts is set at 50 ms. Then blocking

signals are sent in correct directions which

prevents an unnecessarily disconnection of
distributed resources and healthy parts of the
Microgrid [2].

Fig. 9 Base case and modified trip curves and a tripping sequence

Fig. 8 Base case trip curve and tripping sequence with directional
overcurrent protection

Now we assume that after an isolation of the

first fault occurred in between SWB1 and
SWB2, the island which includes SWB2, 3, 5,
6. The Distributed generator in SWB6 is
switched to a frequency control mode and
additionally each load in the island is dropped
from 100A to 50A.
Assume in between SWB2 and SWB3 there is
a second fault inside the islanded Microgrid
and all non-directional OC relays use ts settings
from the base case [2]. Ideally, the fault should
be cleared by CB2.2 and CB3.1. Since there is
no fault current source in SWB2, CB2.2 cant
trip but it can be opened by the follow-me
function of CB3.1. In case of using directional
OC protection ts = 150 ms for CB3.1 [2].
However, the maximum fault current supplied
by the synchronous DER in SWB6 and seen by
CB3.1 Ikmax=2.4 kA shown in figure 9.
This will activate the L part of the relays trip
curve with the expected tripping time delay of
25 s. During this time distributed generator in
SWB6 will be disconnected by its out-of-step
protection.

In island mode where the main grid does not

contribute to the fault, to guarantee fast fault
isolation the trip curve must be pushed to the
left dynamically depending on the Microgrid
topology and a number of connected DG. The
modified trip curves are illustrated in figure 9
[2].
V. Discussions and Conclusions
Modern numerical relay could offer several
settings group which can be activated at any
time. It can achieve instantaneous tripping in
different fault and operation scenario which
could be an advantage for Microgrid protection.
One of the challenges of Microgrid protection
is to operate during normal and island operation
which could be solved by modern numerical
relay with Microgrid central control and
monitoring unit.
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) could
be used for faster and corrected fault detection
for Microgrid protection. Modern FPGA is fast
enough to reduce fault detection time.
Microgrid is a very exciting research field
with an intersection zone of several concept
such as power electronics, Microgrid operation,
protection, distributed generation, renewable
energy etc. Protection of Microgrid against
different fault current scenario and design of
new protection scheme are promising research
area. Certainly, some future work is needed
to clarify these as well.

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