Using EMT Simulation in Reviewing Distance Protection with Inverter Based Resources

IBR model, representative of an installations currently operating within the Australasian power system, is used together with injection into three vendor-diverse distance protection relays. The study demonstrates that desktop modelling, whilst valuable for protection coordination studies, is not conclusive of distance protection performance. HOL testing shows that relays do not exhibit identical behaviour even when set will similar settings philosophies and injected with identical fault records, attributed largely to differences in proprietary relay algorithms used to process directionality and tripping logic, hence demonstrating the value of HOL testing especially if such tests are incorporated into protection relay commissioning. Some protection maloperation is observed, however it is envisaged that GFM IBR-based systems are capable of supporting effective distance protection when IBR responses are considered in distance settings design. Possible mitigation strategies with regards to distance element settings and initiatives from relay manufacturers and IBR controls developers are proposed.