Influence of reactive current settings of converters on distance protection

Abstract

In the present paper, the influence of reactive current settings of converters on traditional distance protection schemes is investigated. Contemporary grid codes demand converter-based generation to inject additional reactive current during faults to support the grid voltage. Through steady state simulations, it is illustrated that the amount of reactive current, defined by a fixed gain factor, impacts the calculated fault impedance by distance protection. It is illustrated that with a fixed gain factor for reactive current contribution, correct operation of traditional distance protection schemes to protect lines connected to converter-based generation is not feasible.