Protection of a transformerless intelligent power substation

The Transformerless Intelligent Power Substation (TIPS) is being developed as an alternative to the conventional line frequency transformers at the 13.8 kV distribution grid - 480 V utility grid interface. The Front End Converter (FEC) of TIPS is composed of newly developed 15 kV/20 A Silicon Carbide (SiC) IGBTs and series connected 10 kV/10 A SiC Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes. The low device current ratings open up a big challenge in the protection of these devices in the event of faults on the a.c side or on the d.c bus as well as during high surge voltage on the line. This paper covers a detailed study of the various components of the fault protection system in terms of their breaking time, breaking current and fault coordination. The evaluation is also done with respect to different fault types like 3-phase to ground fault and single phase to ground fault at various points of the system. The effect of fault on passive elements is also considered.