A Dynamic Phasor-Based Approach to Fault Detection in Power Systems with Inverter-Based Resources

Inverter-based resources (IBRs) are known to introduce new challenges to protection of power systems. Not only do they contribute limited short-circuit currents (1.2pu - 1.5pu) in steady state, but they also have limited duration to fault response. This means that protection schemes for such systems potentially face the challenge of, among other issues, sensitivity and speed. In order to address this challenge, an important area of focus for engineers and researchers is the development of new fault signatures that can provide a clear distinction between normal and abnormal conditions in such networks. This paper employs a fault detection approach using dynamic phasors rather than existing traditional steady-state phasors. The authors propose an incremental sequence quantity, based on a sub-cycle dynamic phasor definition. The performance of the proposed fault detection method is tested and verified using a modified version of the IEEE 13-Bus test feeder, simulated in MATLAB/Simulink. Results indicate improved detection of faults for power systems with IBRs penetration.