Practical Approach on Protection Coordination of Medium Voltage Network with Embedded Generation

The growing penetration of renewable energy sources has led to a significant increase in embedded generators (EGs) within medium voltage (MV) networks, exerting considerable pressure on network capacity and the protection systems. Protection coordination of MV feeders with high concentrations of embedded generation has become a challenging task, requiring the handling of variable and bi-directional power flow conditions. The main objective of this study is to identify and clear faulty sections under various fault conditions without indiscriminate tripping of protective devices. Practical scenarios were analyzed using field data. The paper addresses the application of adaptive protection schemes and proper coordination of protection devices in MV distribution feeders containing mini hydro and solar PV generation. Different fault scenarios and possible protection failures highlight the importance of designing flexible, reliable protection systems to accommodate the evolving characteristics of modern distribution networks. This approach facilitates flexible and reliable methods for the protection coordination in the system while keeping a healthy MV distribution network.