Proposed Application for Rate of Change of Phasor Voltage in Fault Detection and Coordination Studies in MV Distribution Networks

Selectivity, reliability and security of electrical distribution systems are important issues in modern power systems. The protection coordination approach that depends on fault current only is no longer valid for medium voltage (MV) distribution systems; it has major limitations because of varying network conditions. In this paper, a new protective coordination technique is proposed in MV distribution networks. The proposed technique is based on calculating the rate of change of phasor voltage ( ROCOV ) in each feeder to discriminate and locate the faulty section. The measured ROCOV values and the required relay operating time take the shape of the standard inverse-time characteristics that are used for overcurrent relay. The system allows full coordination between the primary and backup relays. Without any need for communications, the proposed technique proved good robustness during different transient healthy conditions. The setting of the proposed relay does not need to be re-adjusted with the changes in network operating conditions since it depends on system voltage not the loading current. The proposed technique is tested using extensive MATLAB simulations under different faulty and healthy conditions in a MV distribution system. The results indicate that the proposed technique meets the fundamental protective requirements such as selectivity, reliability, sensitivity, and speed as well.