Reverse Power Flow (RPF) Detection and Impact on Protection Coordination of Distribution Systems

Due to the inclusion of Distributed Generation (DG) in modern power systems, there are certain changes in the distribution and transmission stage, either by impedance reflected by the lines and the increase of short circuit currents. This context has a direct impact on protection coordination which is the priority of study in this paper. One of the significant impacts due to DG is the reverse power flow (RPF), which generally occur when the generation of a distributed power plant exceeds the local load demand, causing power to flow in the opposite direction to normal. The consequences can be evidenced in the power system with voltage peaks; therefore the sensitivity and various parameters of protection coordination are critically affected. This work proposes a tool to identify possible scenarios of reverse power flows and a feasible solution is introduced. A comparative assessment is done in order to minimize the possibility of an RPF in the IEEE 13 Node radial system with conclusive results.