A Robust Fault Identification and Location Algorithm for Efficient DC Microgrid Management

In a ring-structured microgrid, the predominant bidirectional power flow is influenced by the distinct characteristics of distributed energy sources. The traditional approaches struggle to identify the faulty line precisely, particularly when confronted with high-resistance faults that degrade the system's dependability. Recently, the protection methods based on the parameter approach were introduced in the literature to overcome these difficulties. However, these approaches fail to find the fault location since the estimated resistance does not include the fault loop resistance. The primary aim of this research article is to introduce a robust protection algorithm that employs the polarity of change in resistance (ΔR) is computed at both protection devices (PDs) in a line to distinguish the internal and external faults correctly; it enhances the dependability of the protection system. This method also emphasizes the computation of fault location based on calculated resistance, which is straightforward. In addition, a tripping operation using the central intelligent electronic device (CIED) in instances where communication fails between local intelligent electronic devices (LIEDs) and circuit breaker (CB) failure are also considered. The proposed method was also validated on experimental setup to ascertain the duration of operation for the protective technique.