Real-time simulation of Blockchain-Enabled Protection Scheme for DC Microgrids

This paper presents a novel protection scheme for bipolar DC microgrids, utilizing blockchain technology to enhance security and reliability. An Ethereum-based blockchain network is simulated to ensure the secure transmission of current measurements at the two terminals of the protected DC line. The DC microgrid is simulated in the real-time digital simulator (RTDS), and the measured currents at the remote end of the protected line segment are received through socket protocol (GTNET SKT) using the Python script. The blockchain’s decentralized and immutable nature eliminates single points of failure and provides robust protection against tampering. A user dashboard is also developed for real-time monitoring and visualization of communicated data and blockchain transaction status, facilitating user interaction and system management. Extensive simulations validate the proposed scheme and demonstrate its effectiveness in the security of communication-assisted protection schemes.