New coordination approach to minimize the number of re-adjusted relays when adding DGs in interconnected power systems

Abstract

The presence of DGs in power system networks tends to negatively affect the protective relays coordination. The proposed method introduces an approach to minimize the numbers of relays that acquire new settings on contrary to their original settings (case without DG), to achieve relays coordination in case of adding DG, since relays coordination with minimum number of relays of readjusted settings represents economical target, especially in networks containing mixture of electromechanical and adaptive digital relays. The scheme decides the possible minimum number of re-adjusted relays and their locations in an optimum manner to achieve proper relays coordination in case of adding DGs. The proposed approach is divided into two successive phases; the first phase is stopped when the first relays coordination solution is achieved. The second phase increases the possibility to keep higher number of relays at their original settings than that obtained in first phase through achieving multi solutions of relays coordination. The proposed approach is implemented and effectively tested on the well-known IEEE-39 bus test system.