Thanks to smart grids, more intelligent devices may now be integrated into the electric grid, which increases the robustness and resilience of the system. The integration of distributed energy resources is expected to require extensive use of communication systems as well as a variety of interconnected technologies for monitoring, protection, and control. The fault location and diagnosis are essential for the security and well-coordinated operation of these systems since there is also greater risk and different paths for a fault or contingency in the system. Considering smart distribution systems, microgrids, and smart automation substations, a full investigation of fault location in SGs over the distribution domain is still not enough, and this study proposes to analyze the fault location issues and common types of power failures in most of their physical components and communication infrastructure. In addition, we explore several fault location techniques in the smart grid’s distribution sector as well as fault location methods recommended to improve resilience, which will aid readers in choosing methods for their own research. Finally, conclusions are given after discussing the trends in fault location and detection techniques.

Extreme weather conditions and natural disasters (ND) are the main causes of power outages in the electric grid. It is necessary to strengthen the electrical power system’s resilience during these catastrophic occurrences, and microgrids may be seen as the best way to achieve this goal. In this paper, two different energy system scenarios were proposed for increasing the resiliency of the electric power system during random outages. In the first scenario, a diesel generator (DG) was used to deliver energy to key loads during grid disruptions, in conjunction with a utility electric grid (UEG) and local electric load (ELL). A grid-connected ad hoc microgrid (MG) with a photovoltaic (PV) system, a battery energy storage (BES) system, and local electric loads made up the second scenario. The PV system and the BES system were used to supply the key loads with electricity during the outage. The major aim of this research was to compare the two resilient-based systems from the perspectives of technology, economics, and the environment. Given that it requires greater resilience than the other loads during severe weather, a hospital load on Indonesia’s Lombok Island was chosen as the critical load. The objective function considers the system’s predefined constraints to reduce the overall net present cost (NPC) and the cost of energy in order to maximize the system resilience (COE). The Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER) Grid simulated a 3-day outage in August 2021, and the results demonstrated that the resiliency enhancement for both scenarios was nearly identical. The first scenario resulted in fewer CO₂ emissions; however, the second scenario delivered lower operating costs and COE. The simulation’s findings showed that system 1 created an annual emission of 216.902 kg/yr while system 2 only produced an emission of 63.292 kg/yr. This study shows that since RES-based MGs don’t burn fossil fuels to generate power, they are more environmentally friendly resources.

This article introduces a new approach for validating directional overcurrent protection schemes in ring-topology electrical distribution systems with distributed energy resources (DERs). The proposed protection scheme incorporates overcurrent and directional functions and addresses DER-induced challenges such as variable short circuit levels. This study employs real-time and offline simulations to evaluate the performance of the protection coordination scheme using a digital twin under DER-supplied loads. The utilization of digital twins offers the possibility to simulate different scenarios, providing real-time responses to dynamic changes and allowing for informed decision-making in response to disturbances or faults. This study aims to present a new approach to validate the performance of the proposed protection scheme when the load is entirely supplied by DERs, highlighting issues such as false trips and protection system blindness resulting from changes in short circuit currents. The results show a breakdown in the coordination of the protection scheme during the fault conditions, demonstrating the effectiveness of digital twins in validating the protection scheme’s performance. Performing an analysis in the electromagnetic transient (EMT) domain improves the validation and refines the results.

This paper compares concentrated and distributed reactive power compensation to improve the power factor at the point of common connection (PCC) of an industrial electrical system (IES) with harmonics. The electrical system under study has a low power factor, voltage variation, and harmonics caused by motors operating at low loads and powered by variable-speed drives. The designed compensation system mitigates harmonics and reduces electrical losses with the shortest payback period. Four solutions were compared, considering concentrated and distributed compensation with capacitor banks and harmonic filters. Although the cost of investment in concentrated compensation is lower than that of distributed compensation, a higher reduction in electrical losses and a lower payback period are obtained with distributed compensation. Although the lowest payback period was obtained with distributed compensation with capacitor banks (0.4 years), it is not recommended in the presence of harmonics because the effects of current harmonics significantly reduce the useful life of these elements. For this reason, distributed compensation with harmonic filters obtained a payback period of 0.6 years, and it was proposed as the best solution. These results should be considered in projects aimed at power factor compensation in IESs with harmonics. The concentrated compensation of the capacitor bank at the PCC is proposed because of the lower investment cost and ease of installation. However, the advantages of distributed compensation with harmonic filters have not been evaluated. An energy efficiency approach is used to analyze the impact of the location methods of the power factor compensation equipment on the electrical losses of the IES.

Microgrids (MGs) are building blocks of smart power systems formed by integrating local power generation resources, energy storage systems (ESSs), and power-consuming units. While MGs offer many benefits, including increased resilience and flexibility, there remains a need for improved control and protection techniques that can ensure their performance and automatic restoration in response to dynamic operating conditions and failure events. Recently, researchers have explored model-free emotional learning adaptive strategies based on the emotional response of human brains to control MGs. These model-free control strategies are well-suited for handling the complexity, nonlinearity, and uncertainty present in MGs and offer several advantages over traditional approaches. This article provides an overview of different emotional learning techniques applied to MG control and protection, their challenges, and future trends. In addition, we draw parallels between the hierarchical control architecture (HCA) of MGs and the emotional learning process in the human brain, discussing their operational strategies and key areas of research. Finally, the future implementations of brain emotional learning (BEL) in the control and protection of MGs are discussed, and concluding remarks on the potential of this approach are provided.