Protection scheme for VSC‐HVDC transmission lines based on transverse differential current

Abstract

This study proposes a novel transverse differential protection for voltage sourced converter‐high‐voltage, direct current (VSC‐HVDC) to clear faults on DC‐line fast. The proposed scheme depends on the transient current of positive pole and negative pole at the same side. Transverse differential current can be used to distinguish DC and AC faults, novel criteria are built using the ratio of difference and sum current of bipolar. According to the variation characteristics of transient fault current, internal faults and external faults can be detected. The scheme can protect the whole transmission line without dead zone, simplify the algorithm and improve the speed of operation. A typical VSC‐HVDC model in PSCAD/EMTDC is built. The tolerance to grounding resistance of the scheme is researched in simulation. The results demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of the proposed scheme. The scheme can be used as supplementary criteria for primary protection or backup protection for VSC‐HVDC transmission lines.