Recloser-fuse Coordination in Radial Distribution Systems connected with Distributed Generation Using Saturated-core Superconducting Fault Current Limiter

Recently, distributed energy is being introduced into distribution systems for many reasons. This energy is entered in the form of distributed generators (DGs). Incorporating DGs into radial distribution systems has many merits such as improving voltage profiles and reducing power losses. However, if the DG location and penetration level were not well-planned, it can lead to problems in the protection systems such as prevention of auto-reclosing of circuit breakers, recloser-fuse miscoordination, blinding of protection and false tripping. This paper aims to study the problem of recloser-fuse miscoordination of radial distribution systems due to the incorporation of DGs. Different case studies are addressed with different locations and penetration levels of DGs with the 33-bus radial distribution system. Reclosers and fuses are inserted in different positions in the studied distribution system to protect it against all possible locations of fault and in every fault location the coordination between reclosers and fuses are kept. The penetration level of all DG locations is increased until the recloser-fuse coordination is broken. To restore the reclosers-fuses coordination, a saturated-core superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is connected in series with the DG to limit the fault current coming from the DG. The simulation results show that the saturated-core SFCL could recover the reclosers-fuses coordination when it is broken by connecting DGs with the studied radial distribution system.