Source-Independent Fault Detection Method for Transmission Lines in IBR-Dominated Grids

TL;DR

This paper introduces a source-independent fault detection method for transmission lines in grids dominated by inverter-based resources, utilizing high-frequency carrier waves to detect faults regardless of power source types.

Contribution

It presents a novel, source-independent fault detection technique inspired by power line communication, improving reliability in IBR-dominated transmission systems.

Findings

Effective detection of various faults demonstrated in simulations.

Method outperforms traditional phasor-based relays in accuracy.

Works independently of power source types.

Abstract

This paper proposes a source-independent method for the detection and classification of faults along Transmission Lines (TLs). It aims to reduce the protection issues arising from Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs). Inspired by Power Line Communication (PLC), the proposed method utilizes high-frequency carrier waves which are sent from either side of a TL over each phase. As faults disrupt the propagation of carriers, the receiving carrier waves before and during faults exhibit differences. Based on this principle, the proposed method continuously compares the receiving carrier waves with a short history of them to detect and classify faults. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated using EMTP-RV and MATLAB, and compared to traditional phasor-based distance relays. The simulation results confirm the capability of the proposed method in detection and classification of different faults regardless of power sources types.