DC Microgrid Protection by Selective Detection of Series Arcing Using Load Side Power Electronic Devices

Abstract

This paper proposes a method to mitigate the problems related to series arcing in low voltage dc (LVdc) micro-grids by performing voltage drop detection using the power electronic device at the load-side. Specifically, the selectivity of the designed series arc detection algorithm is shown for two constant power loads connected in parallel at the point of common coupling with a stable voltage dc micro-grid during accidental unplugging. The influence of the variations in the grid parameters on the load capacitor voltage characteristics and the response of the designed detection algorithm is discussed, thereby, offering insight into the maximum voltage drop and rise time with different circuit configurations due to series arc initiation.