Fault Detection in Autonomous Microgrid with Distributed Secondary Controlled DGs

The surge in renewable energy sources presents challenges in fault detection, particularly in autonomous microgrid operations where inverter-interfaced DGs contribute minimal current. This study proposes a fault detection method based on positive sequence angles of voltage and current, complemented by distributed secondary control for reactive power sharing among DGs during faults. The method ensures necessary reactive power injection into faulty feeders. Validation on a 5-bus MATLAB/SIMULINK model demonstrates effective fault detection for low-resistance and high-resistance faults. Also, it differentiates between faulty and healthy feeders, showcasing its applicability and reliability in microgrid operations.