Enhancement of Overcurrent Relay Coordination in Modern Industrial Distribution System Using Adaptive Modified Firefly Algorithm

Abstract

Overcurrent Relays (OCRs) are universally applied in power distribution system protection, but the coordination of these relays can be challenging due to the complex interactions among multiple relays and protective devices. This paper proposes a new approach for using an adaptive modified firefly algorithm (AMFA) to coordinate overcurrent relay protection in a power system. The suggested approach has been put into practice in a real industrial petrochemical radial distribution network. This article aims to reduce the overall operational time of the main and backup relays within the system by comparing 3 types of IEC time-current characteristic curves. The result demonstrates that the AMFA is considerably achieving optimized coordination with the minimum overall operating time. Both MATLAB and ETAP software have successfully integrated and used the AMFA.