Abstract
Introducing distributed generators(DGs) to utility distribution system can cause malfunction of relay on the grid when ground faults or severe load unbalances are occurred on the system. Because DGs interconnected to the grid can contribute fault currents and make bidirectional power flows on the system, fault currents from DGs can cause an interference of relay operation. A directional over current relay(DOCR) can determine the direction of power flow whether a fault occurs at the source side or load side through detecting the phases of voltage and current simultaneously. However, it is identified in this paper that the contributed fault current(Ifdg) from the ground source when was occurred to contribute single-line-to-ground(SLG) fault current, has various phases according to the distances from the ground source. It means that the directionality of Ifdg may not be determined by simply detecting the phases of voltage and current in some fault conditions. The magnitude of Ifdg can be estimated approximately as high as 3 times of a phase current and its maximum is up to 2,000 A depending on the capacity of generation facilities. In order to prevent malfunction of relay and damage of DG facilities from the contribution of ground fault currents, Ifdg should be limited within a proper range. Installation of neutral ground reactor (NGR) at a primary neutral of interconnection transformer was suggested in the paper. Capacity of the proposed NGR can be adjusted easily by controlling taps of the NGR. An algorithm for unidirectional relay was also proposed to prevent the malfunction of relay due to the fault current, Ifdg. By the algorithm, it is possible to determine the directionality of fault from measuring only the magnitude of fault current. It also implies that the directionality of fault can be detected by unidirectional relay without replacement of relay with the bidirectional relay.
