What are some innovative approaches to transmission system protection and coordination?
Transmission system protection and coordination are essential for ensuring the reliability and security of power grids. However, traditional methods based on fixed settings, predefined zones, and communication links may not be adequate for the increasing complexity, uncertainty, and variability of modern power systems. In this article, you will learn about some innovative approaches that leverage advanced technologies and concepts to enhance the performance and flexibility of transmission system protection and coordination.
Adaptive protection is a concept that allows the protection settings and logic to adjust dynamically according to the system conditions, such as topology, loading, fault type, and renewable generation. Adaptive protection can improve the selectivity, sensitivity, and speed of fault detection and isolation, as well as reduce the risk of false tripping, cascading failures, and protection malfunctions. Some examples of adaptive protection techniques are adaptive relaying, adaptive auto-reclosing, adaptive load shedding, and adaptive islanding.
-
Ahmad F. Abdelhadi
Power Systems Engineer at Wärtsilä Energy Storage | Towards a 100% Renewable Energy Future | Ph.D. Candidate | M.Sc. | EIT | PMP®
Adaptive protection, particularly in the context of adaptive relaying, emerges as a valuable asset across diverse protection applications within power systems. Taking the example of Distance relays within transmission systems, Adaptive Relaying (AR) settings can dynamically adjust based on changes to the power system topology. When alterations such as the addition or removal of transmission lines occur, the impedance perceived by the relay undergoes modifications. By continuously measuring voltage and current within the protection zone, adaptive relays can detect these changes, enabling the dynamic update of distance relay percentages to accurately reflect the new transmission line impedance.
Wide-area protection is a concept that uses data from multiple locations across the power system to provide a comprehensive and coordinated view of the system state and disturbances. Wide-area protection can enhance the situational awareness, stability, and resilience of the power grid, as well as prevent or mitigate the impact of large-scale events, such as blackouts, oscillations, and voltage collapses. Some examples of wide-area protection techniques are wide-area measurement systems, wide-area control systems, wide-area monitoring systems, and wide-area backup protection systems.
Artificial intelligence is a technology that enables the protection devices and systems to learn from data, perform complex tasks, and make decisions autonomously. Artificial intelligence can improve the accuracy, efficiency, and adaptability of transmission system protection and coordination, as well as handle the uncertainties, nonlinearities, and interactions of power systems. Some examples of artificial intelligence techniques are machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, fuzzy logic, and expert systems.
-
John Isufi
GenAI Innovation Program Lead @E.ON | Driving Adoption of AI Use Cases & Business Models | Open Innovation | Writer | UIUC
AI in power grids can boost resilience, efficiency and adaptability, but it's not without challenges: Machine learning algos, for example, can forecast energy consumption/production, adjusting supply dynamically to meet demand minimizing the risk of overloading the system, blackouts etc. Deep learning, e.g. via computer vision, can enhance and (partially) automate anomaly detection yet can lead to unclear decision-making due to its "opaque" nature. While these (and other) AI methods offer great opportunities, understanding (and managing!) their limitations (e.g. the need for high-quality, often sparse data #GIGO) and the often dynamic context are crucial for real-world applications.
-
Michael Detke
CEO & Founder Zentur.io | District Heating Hydraulics | Heat Metering and Analytics | Dynamic Tariffs | DH Optimization & Decarbonization Strategies
AI combined with digital twins represents a powerful synergy, enhancing predictive analytics and real-time decision-making across various industries. AI algorithms analyze data from digital twins, which are virtual replicas of physical systems, to predict outcomes, optimize operations, and prevent failures. In manufacturing, this combination can foresee equipment malfunctions, leading to proactive maintenance and reducing downtime. In healthcare, AI-driven digital twins of human organs allow for personalized medicine and safer clinical trials. In urban planning and smart cities, they aid in optimizing energy use and traffic flow, improving sustainability and quality of life.
Distributed ledger technology is a technology that enables the secure and transparent exchange of data and transactions among multiple parties without a central authority. Distributed ledger technology can enhance the trust, resilience, and interoperability of transmission system protection and coordination, as well as enable new applications and services, such as peer-to-peer energy trading, demand response, and smart contracts. Some examples of distributed ledger technology are blockchain, hashgraph, and directed acyclic graph.
Cloud computing is a technology that provides on-demand access to shared computing resources and services over the internet. Cloud computing can increase the scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness of transmission system protection and coordination, as well as enable new functionalities and capabilities, such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and remote control. Some examples of cloud computing platforms are Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
Digital twin is a technology that creates a virtual representation of a physical system or process that can be monitored, simulated, and optimized in real time. Digital twin can improve the performance, reliability, and safety of transmission system protection and coordination, as well as support the design, testing, and maintenance of protection devices and systems. Some examples of digital twin applications are digital substation, digital relay, and digital fault analysis.
-
Michael Detke
CEO & Founder Zentur.io | District Heating Hydraulics | Heat Metering and Analytics | Dynamic Tariffs | DH Optimization & Decarbonization Strategies
Digital twins in district heating grids are indeed game-changers due to their ability to create accurate, real-time virtual models of physical systems. This technology allows for the comprehensive monitoring and analysis of heating systems, facilitating better decision-making. First, digital twins enable predictive maintenance, reducing downtime and costs by identifying potential issues before they become critical. They simulate various scenarios to optimize system performance, leading to increased efficiency and reduced energy consumption. Furthermore, they enhance the integration of renewable energy sources by accurately modeling their impact on the grid. This is why Zentur.io ist working on live modelling of the grid with demand data.
-
Cuong Tran Duc
Business Partner @ CM Group | Innovative Renewable Energy Solutions | LinkedIn - Top Renewable Energy Voice
You should performing systems analysis of protection system coordination, which can identify the strategic problems and challenges that affect the coordination process, and propose solutions based on optimization, simulation, and adaptive relaying.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
IT ManagementWhat are the best ways to optimize vendor products for quantum computing and AI?
-
BlockchainHow can you effectively evaluate your sharding algorithm?
-
ManufacturingHow can you optimize logistics management with quantum computing?
-
Technological InnovationHere's how you can shape the future of various industries with Technological Innovation.