Active Islanding Detection Using High-Frequency Signal Injection

Abstract

Islanding detection is of great importance for reliable operation of smart grids. Islanding-detection methods can be classified into three different groups, i.e., active, passive, and communication-based methods. Active methods inject a disturbing signal (typically a voltage) and analyze the system response (typically in the current). These techniques have a low nondetection zone (NDZ) but present the inconvenience inherent to injecting a disturbing signal. Passive methods monitor the grid condition from the grid variables. These techniques are easy to implement but present a large NDZ. Communication methods have the inconvenience of relying on communications, currently being of limited use. This paper proposes a new active islanding-detection method, based on the measurement of the grid high-frequency impedance by means of the injection of a high-frequency voltage. The advantages of the method are almost negligible adverse effects due to the injected high-frequency voltage and accurate and fast islanding detection, i.e., in the range of a few milliseconds. Furthermore, the estimated high-frequency impedance can be used for the adaptive control of the power converter.