Fault Detection and Location in Power Systems with Large-Scale Photovoltaic Power Plant by Adaptive Distance Relays

In this paper, a novel approach is introduced for Fault Detection and Fault Location in power systems that incorporate Large-Scale Photovoltaic Power Plants (LSPPPs). Given that short-circuit (SC) characteristics in photovoltaic systems differ significantly from those observed in traditional Synchronous Generators (SGs). The increasing integration of LSPPPs into the power grid is anticipated to have an impact on the performance of conventional protection relay systems; initially designed for SG-dominated setups. Therefore, the proposed method revolves around analyzing the influence of LSPPPs on the alteration of observed transmission line impedance to identify and locate faults accurately. Furthermore, the methodology takes into consideration factors such as fault location, fault resistance, fault type, changing the LSPPP generation, and noise conditions. when calculating the phase angle of the fault loop current. The effectiveness of this approach was assessed through testing and evaluation on ۲-bus and IEEE ۳۹-bus test systems connected to an LSPPP, simulated using PSCAD/EMTDC and MATLAB/SIMULINK.