An Open-Source Protection IED for Research and Education in Multiterminal HVDC Grids

The integration of large amounts of renewable energy will require multiterminal high-voltage direct-current (MTDC) grids to reliably transport the energy over long distances. However, before building an MTDC grid, a functional protection system design is needed. Realistic and industrial studies are required to validate the functionality of such a system. In addition, further academic research as well as education in the field are needed. This paper presents an open-source, low-cost protection intelligent electronic device (IED) prototype for use in a laboratory environment. In particular, the IED design, its fastest measured performance, example results for different fault scenarios, and an assessment of its use in education are shown. The open-source IED is useful to accelerate industrial and academic research, as well as to enable education in protection for MTDC grids.