Microgrid, which is one of the main foundations of the future grid, inherits many properties of the smart grid such as, self-healing capability, real-time monitoring, advanced two-way communication systems, low voltage ride through capability of distributed generator (DG) units, and high penetration of DGs. These substantial changes in properties and capabilities of the future grid result in significant protection challenges such as bidirectional fault current, various levels of fault current under different operating conditions, necessity of standards for automation system, cyber security issues, as well as, designing an appropriate grounding system, fast fault detection/location method, the need for an efficient circuit breaker for DC microgrids. Due to these new challenges in microgrid protection, the conventional protection strategies have to be either modified or substituted with new ones. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the protection challenges in AC and DC microgrids and available solutions to deal with them. Future trends in microgrid protection are also briefly discussed
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https://ietresearch.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1049/iet-gtd.2018.5212

Review on microgrids protection

Communication technologies for smart grid applications

Real-time cyber physical system testbed for power system security and control

Advanced Distribution Automation (ADA) will be a revolutionary approach to managing and controlling distribution systems. It will achieve a fully controllable and automated distribution system including the integration of distributed resources to optimise system performance. This paper describes the results of an EPRI roadmap development project that defines the important research and development needs to achieve the completely automated distribution system of the future.

/pdf/technical-and-system-requirements-for-advanced-distribution-3tio6eldmo.pdf

Technical and system requirements for Advanced Distribution Automation

A highly reliable, fast, and deterministic communication network is required to support time-critical real-time monitoring, protection, and control functions of the substation automation systems (SAS). This paper proposes an Ethernet-based logical architecture for the substation communication network (SCN). Improved reliability, availability, and survivability of the SAS are demonstrated through the unique architectural features of this SCN, whereas the end-to-end (ETE) time-delay performance of the SCN architecture is evaluated with the help of simulation. The optimized network engineering tool modeler is used for modeling and simulation of the various nodes of the SCN and the communication traffic according to IEC 61850, the International Electrotechnical Commission's (IEC) standard for Communication Networks and Systems for Substation.

Reliable, Fast, and Deterministic Substation Communication Network Architecture and its Performance Simulation

The advent of power industry deregulation has placed greater emphasis on the availability of information, the analysis of this information, and the subsequent decision-making to optimize system operation in a competitive environment. Intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) being implemented in substations contain valuable information, both operational and nonoperational, needed by many user groups within the utility. The challenge facing utilities is determining a standard integration architecture that meets the utility's specific needs, can extract the desired operational and nonoperational information, and deliver this information to the users who have applications to analyze the information. This article provides an overview of substation integration and automation fundamentals and focuses on best practices.

J.D. McDonald

Papers

Substation automation. IED integration and availability of information