Multi-Layer Smart Fault Protection for Secure Smart Grids

The trend toward Smart grid (SG) is increasing significantly by incorporating Distributed Generators (DGs), which leads to new challenges, especially in protection systems. SGs should strengthen robust environments against cybersecurity threats. So, the cybersecurity of future SGs is essential. This paper proposes a multi-layer protection scheme for the Medium Voltage (MV) Distribution System (DS), especially with reconfigurable SGs. The main protection algorithm is based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), utilizing the communication between all protective devices (PDs) in the grid, whereas as backup protection, another AI algorithm employs the communication between the PDs in the same line. Then, as alternative protection to provide the protection system with another level of security in case of communication issues or cyberattacks, a third algorithm based on the local data of each PDs is proposed. Both simulations using MATLAB SIMULINK and experimental results utilizing a scaled physical grid validated the protection algorithms. The scaled grid has been designed for the smart grid in order to test the behavior of the protection scheme experimentally.