Evaluating the Performance of Digital Modular Protection for Grid-Connected Permanent-Magnet-Generator-Based Wind Energy Conversion Systems With Battery Storage Systems

This paper develops and tests a new method for managing the responses of multiple digital relays employed in interconnected permanent-magnet generator (PMG)-based wind energy conversion systems (WECSs) with battery storage. The developed method utilizes digital relays (modules), each of which provides protection for a specific location of the PMG-based WECS and battery storage. The outputs of the developed digital protection scheme are trip signals to operate circuit breakers in PMG-based WECS, battery storage, and point-of-common-coupling. The modular digital protection is implemented for experimental testing on a 5-kW PMG-based WECS that has a 2.3-kW battery storage. Test results show that the developed protection can offer fast, accurate, and reliable responses to faults occurring in different parts of the tested WECS and battery storage. In addition, test results show that the modular digital protection has minor sensitivity to the location of faults, charge/discharge cycles of the battery storage, and/or levels of power delivery to the host grid.