Luma Energy Distribution Protection Methods Review For Large Scale Reclosers Deployment

Mass deployment of distribution feeders' automation devices such as reclosers in Puerto Rico has led to the analysis of various distributions feeders with unique topologies in LUMA Energy. This paper presents three main objectives: (1) identifying different feeder types based on their protection characteristics, (2) a comprehensive review and critical analysis of methods employed in the distribution protection field for the distribution protection settings and (3) evaluating these various methods to identify their strengths, limitations, and applications in accordance to the type of feeder. Different approaches were applied to various distribution feeder topologies in LUMA Energy to represent impact of different approaches on reliability indices and distribution faults duration. In this study, use of three phase, single phase reclosers and sectionalizers were considered with identification of challenges and solutions related to devices deployment. The findings underscore the importance of methodology selection for the optimal distribution feeders reliability improvement.