Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing of the Impact of Grid-Following Inverters Control and Momentary Cessation on System Protection

The integration of inverter-based distributed generation (IBDG) challenges conventional protection systems due to their low fault current contributions. This paper investigates the impact of inverter controllers and momentary cessation (MC) on protection systems. Both constant current (CC) and dynamic voltage support (DVS) controls were implemented in this study. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing was conducted using an Opal-RT simulator and SEL-351S relays to validate the results. The findings reveal the effectiveness of DVS and MC functionalities in preventing relay misoperations during system disturbances, highlighting the crucial role of control strategies in enhancing the resilience of distribution systems integrating high levels of inverter-based generation.