We are presenting a set of projects in one of the core areas of power systems engineering. Projects on power system protection will help you know more about the topic and learn how the systems work.
Power systems in one of the core topics in electrical engineering. Power systems engineering deals with generating, transmitting, and utilizing electricity.
Power system protection is critical in the operation of utility grids. There are different components used for the protection of power system equipment.
Relays, fuses, etc. are a few among them. The coordinated operation of the protective elements makes sure that the system is protected and power interruption is the minimum.
PROJECTS ON POWER SYSTEM PROTECTION
A few projects and a short description to know how to proceed are presented here in this blog post. Some of them are simulation projects for BTech and MTech students.
Other project ideas can be useful for Ph.D. scholars for detailed research.
#1 Design and Implementation of a Microcontroller-based Protective Relay
Developing a protective relay using a microcontroller (e.g., Arduino, Raspberry Pi) to detect faults in a small-scale power system will be a good project for BTech students.
The relay should be able to trip a circuit breaker to isolate the faulty section.
The study and implementation will help you to gain knowledge about the protection system in the power grid and how they operate during faults.
#2 Numerical Distance Relay Simulation
A numerical relay, also known as a digital relay, is a modern electronic device used for power system protection.
It is an advanced version of traditional electromechanical and static relays, but instead of using analog components, numerical relays use digital signal processors (DSPs) and microprocessors for their operation.
They are very common in power systems these days. Due to their higher computing capability, they comprise many protection elements in a single unit.
One of the projects on power system protection could be numerical relay simulation. Use software like PSCAD/EMTDC or MATLAB/Simulink to simulate and evaluate the performance of a numerical distance relay for long-distance transmission line protection.
Compare its performance with traditional distance relays.
#3 Directional Overcurrent Relay Testing using Real-Time Digital Simulator (RTDS)
If RTDS is available in your lab then you may use it for the testing of relays.
Use an RTDS to create a real-time simulation of a power system and test the performance of a directional overcurrent relay for different fault scenarios.
This project can be upgraded in such a way as to find and eliminate limitations of protection relays.
#4 Wide Area Protection using Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs)
Phasor Measurement Units are used in power sysem networks for accurate measurements and analysis. It can be used for power system protection as well.
You may investigate the application of PMUs in wide-area protection schemes.
Design a protection scheme that utilizes synchronized phasor measurements to detect and mitigate power system disturbances.
If you could find methods to detect the fault just after it occurs, or to predict it just before it starts then losses in the system can be minimized (fast isolation, fast clearing, etc.).
#5 Protection Coordination Study for Industrial Power System
Relay coordination is necessary for the proper protection of a power system. A case study can be performed on a small industrial system to understand the relay settings.
Perform a protection coordination study for a medium-sized industrial power system.
Then you can determine the settings of various protective devices (relays, fuses) to achieve selectivity and sensitivity during faults.
The setting can be modified based on the previous data to avoid the interruption of the system from unnecessary trappings.
#6 Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Power System Fault Detection
If you would like to do detailed research on the latest trends in power system protection then you can check the use of AI in the field.
Explore the use of AI and machine learning algorithms to detect faults in power systems based on current and voltage measurements.
A comparison may also be necessary to validate the performance of AI-based methods with traditional protection schemes.
#7 Cybersecurity in Power System Protection
Power system protection networks of utility grids have to be protected from external threats through the networks.
If you are interested in cyber security, then you shall implement it on power systems.
As a part of this power system protection project, you may investigate potential cyber threats to power system protection and develop security measures to safeguard relays and protective devices from cyber-attacks.
#8 Fault Analysis in Renewable Energy Integration
Renewable sources get more attention in the power sector since non-renewable sources are diminishing day by day.
The protection system’s behavior changes once you inject the energy from micro renewable stations into the power grid.
You may analyze the impact of integrating renewable energy sources (solar, wind) on power system protection.
The project shall be something like designing protection schemes that accommodate the unique characteristics of these sources.
#9 Impact of Fault Resistance on Distance Relays
You would have known how the distance relays operate. The estimation of distance happens through the current and voltage readings.
The fault resistance affects the performance of distance relays.
You may study the effect of fault resistance on the operation of distance relays.
Use simulation tools to analyze the performance and accuracy of distance relays under different fault resistance conditions.
#10 Protection Challenges in Smart Grids
The conventional grid structure faces some additional developments due to the introduction of renewable sources, electric vehicle charging stations, etc.
You may do detailed research to Identify and address the protection challenges that arise in smart grid environments, including distributed generation, two-way power flow, and dynamic reconfiguration.
CONCLUSION
We have discussed 10 projects on power system protection. A short description of those projects is also given in this post.
Even though some of the projects seem simple testing of relays can be a good academic project if you find some objectives and consoles out of them.
Each project can be developed as a detailed research project if you think about them more.