Multi-Agent Protection Scheme for Resilient Microgrid Systems with Aggregated Electronically Coupled Distributed Energy Resources

This paper develops a multi-agent protection scheme for electric power distribution systems and microgrids with aggregated electronically coupled distributed energy resources (DER). The proposed protection scheme uses both voltage and current measurements to sense faults, and then trips only the faulted feeders, and broadcasts fault events to the main microgrid control system, and adjacent protective agents. The objective of this paper is to improve distribution system resilience by using a minimal communication protection scheme, and reducing power outages. Two study cases are presented. The EMTP-RV program is used to model the power system and the control systems of a PV based DER unit. The IEEE 34 bus test system is chosen for demonstration.