Grid Protection

Given the increasing integration of decentralized generation units, protection and control systems face new complexities. Digital substations with innovative grid protection concepts provide a response to these challenges. The protection laboratory at the Fraunhofer Center Digital Energy offers the possibility to examine and evaluate such concepts throughout their entire process chain.

The Fraunhofer Center Digital Energy, in collaboration with RWTH Aachen University, provides a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) testing environment. This includes real-time systems for EMT simulations as well as protection devices and merging units. Using the IEC 61850 standard ensures communication from the station level to the process level. This encompasses the transmission of measurement data in the energy system via Sample Values, the exchange of status information between devices via GOOSE messages, and the transmission of signals to the SCADA system through Client/Server communication. The resulting increased requirements for availability and security are addressed by new monitoring concepts such as Intrusion Detection Systems.

In collaboration with academic staff, this testing facility allows for the examination of existing and newly developed grid protection approaches for distribution grids in terms of fault tolerance as well as data transmission and processing throughout their entire process chain.