Impact of DG Uncertainty on Fault Detection

Transmission and distribution lines play a vital role in delivering electricity from generation facilities to end-users, but they remain susceptible to faults, including open-circuit and short-circuit faults. This study focuses on fault detection in active distribution networks, with a particular emphasis on the impact of uncertainties associated with distributed generation on fault current behavior. The investigation examines how variations in renewable energy sources specifically wind speed and solar irradiance affect fault current levels and the performance of protective relays. Using a modified IEEE 34-node distribution system, simulations are conducted under various fault scenarios to assess the influence of environmental uncertainties in distributed generation. The results indicate that, for the studied system, variations in wind speed significantly influence fault current magnitudes, whereas solar irradiance has a comparatively minimal impact. This research underscores the importance of incorporating distributed generation uncertainties into fault detection algorithms to improve the reliability and effectiveness of power system protection schemes.