Distribution System Protection Training - DER, Microgrids and Relay Settings

This distribution protection training course is a practical overview of how medium-voltage distribution and industrial power systems are protected, coordinated and adapted for distributed energy resources. It covers short-circuit calculations, system grounding, fuse, relay, recloser and sectionalizer coordination, and feeder, bus, transformer, line and motor protection. It also covers DER and microgrid protection under IEEE 1547-2018.

This 12-hour, instructor-led course is for anyone who designs, sets, tests or maintains distribution protection, from industrial plant and consulting engineers to utility protection technicians and DER interconnection specialists.

DESCRIPTION OUTLINE FEES QUOTATION BROCHURE COUPON

Why Distribution Protection Training Matters

Most customer outages begin on the distribution system, and every misoperation, whether a relay that trips too much of the system or a fuse that fails to clear, costs utilities and plant owners in downtime, equipment damage and arc flash exposure. Rapid growth in distributed energy resources has made the job harder: settings that coordinated well on a one-way radial feeder can be blinded, trip sympathetically or allow out-of-phase reclosing once DER is connected. Protection engineers and technicians need both the classic coordination skills and a working knowledge of DER and microgrid protection.

Distribution System Protection and Coordination Training course gives engineers and technicians a practical, current understanding of how medium-voltage distribution and industrial power systems are protected, and how that protection must change as solar PV, wind, battery energy storage and microgrids connect to the grid. Participants work through short-circuit calculations, system grounding, overcurrent coordination with fuses, relays, reclosers and sectionalizers, and the protection of feeders, buses, transformers, lines and motors, using real case studies and worked setting calculations.

The course follows one guiding principle: the device closest to a fault must operate first, so the smallest possible part of the system is lost. It then shows where that principle breaks down on modern feeders, where inverter-based resources contribute limited fault current, power flows in both directions and reclosers can close back onto an energized island. Participants leave able to review an existing protection scheme, spot coordination and grounding deficiencies, and recommend settings that meet IEEE 1547-2018, ANSI/IEEE C37 and electrical code requirements.

Course Highlights

• Complete coverage of distribution protection, from CTs and fault calculations to feeder, bus, transformer, line and motor protection, in two days

• Recloser, sectionalizer and fuse coordination, including fuse saving and fuse blowing strategies

• Dedicated module on DER, inverter-based resource and microgrid protection under IEEE 1547-2018

• Worked exercises: MVA method short-circuit study, CT saturation check, radial feeder coordination study and a complete motor relay setting calculation

• Link between protection settings and arc flash incident energy under IEEE 1584-2018

• Live polls in every module, a quiz bank and a final test to confirm learning

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain protection philosophy, zones of protection, and primary and backup relaying for radial, loop and network distribution systems

• Select and check CTs, VTs, breakers, reclosers, fuses and relays for a protection application, including a CT saturation check

• Calculate three-phase and ground fault currents using the per-unit and MVA methods and symmetrical components

• Compare ungrounded, solidly grounded and resistance grounded systems and apply the right ground fault protection to each

• Build a time-current coordination study for fuses, relays, reclosers and sectionalizers on a radial feeder

• Apply directional, bus differential and communication-assisted schemes, including fast bus trip and IEC 61850 GOOSE

• Identify DER protection issues such as limited inverter fault current, protection blinding, sympathetic tripping, reverse power flow and unintentional islanding, and recommend mitigations under IEEE 1547-2018

• Apply transformer differential, overcurrent and volts per hertz protection, and explain distance and line current differential protection

• Calculate a complete set of motor protection settings and explain how protection settings affect arc flash incident energy

Course Approach

The course is practical and example-driven. Each module pairs the theory with worked calculations, field lessons learned and short live polls. Participants work through a multi-voltage MVA method study, a Fortescue fault calculation, a radial feeder coordination study, a DER interconnection review and a complete 800 HP motor relay setting case study. Exercises are paper-based and can be followed live online or in the classroom.

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Who should attend

Electrical Power Distribution Engineers;
Electrical Power System Planners;
Electrical Power System Engineers;
Plant Managers;
Consulting Engineers;
Electrical Engineers and Technical Staff entering the protection field,
Engineers and technicians involved with design, operation, maintenance, testing, and troubleshooting of high and medium voltage electrical systems and equipment.
Technicians and technologists in the industrial, consulting, and utility fields involved in design, operation and maintenance who require knowledge of electrical system protection techniques.

Course Benefits

Distribution Protection Training Certificate
1.2 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) Credits (12 Professional Development Hours)
$100 Coupon Toward Any Future Electricity Forum Event (Restrictions Apply)
Our Latest Electrical Protection Digital Handbook (Value $20)
FREE Magazine Subscription (Value $50.00)
Course Materials In PDF Format

Distribution System Protection and Coordination Training – Course Outline

DAY ONE

Module 1: Protection Philosophy and System Configurations

• Purpose of protection: safety, reliability, selectivity, speed and sensitivity

• Radial, loop, network and secondary-selective configurations

• Substation bus arrangements: single bus, main and transfer, ring bus, breaker-and-a-half

• Zones of protection, overlapping zones, primary and backup relaying

• ANSI/IEEE C37.2 device function numbers

Module 2: Protection System Components

• CT construction, accuracy classes and burden (IEEE C37.110)

• CT saturation check: AC and DC saturation worked example

• Voltage transformers and connections

• Circuit breakers: oil, vacuum and SF6 interruption

• Reclosers, sectionalizers, fuses and fault interrupters

• Microprocessor multifunction relays, trip logic and DC control

• Field lessons learned for CT and VT circuits

Module 3: Short-Circuit Calculations

• Fault types and sources of fault current: utility, generators, motors and inverters

• Per-unit and MVA methods

• Case study: MVA method on a multi-voltage industrial system

• Symmetrical components and sequence networks

• Fortescue worked example: single line-to-ground fault

• X/R ratio, asymmetry and equipment duty

Module 4: System Grounding and Ground Fault Protection

• Ungrounded, solidly grounded, high- and low-resistance grounded systems

• Selecting a grounding method for LV, MV and industrial systems with rotating machines

• Effective grounding and ground fault overvoltage (IEEE C62.92)

• Ground fault detection: residual, zero-sequence CT and neutral methods

• Substation grounding and ground electrode interconnection

Module 5: Overcurrent Protection and Coordination

• Protection versus coordination and the spectrum of currents

• Fuse characteristics and current-limiting fuses

• Time-overcurrent relay settings: pickup, curve, time dial and instantaneous

• Coordination time intervals and time-current curves

• Recloser operation, fast and delayed curves

• Fuse saving versus fuse blowing; recloser-fuse and breaker-recloser-fuse coordination

• Sectionalizer coordination

• Exercise: radial feeder coordination study

DAY TWO

Module 6: Feeder and Bus Protection Schemes

• Directional overcurrent (67/67N) for parallel and loop feeders

• Unit protection versus time-graded protection

• Bus differential: high-impedance, low-impedance and linear couplers

• Fast bus trip and blocking schemes

• Automatic and smart bus transfer schemes

• Communication-assisted protection and IEC 61850 GOOSE

Module 7: DER, Inverter-Based Resource and Microgrid Protection

• DER types: solar PV, wind, battery energy storage, CHP and biomass

• IEEE 1547-2018: voltage and frequency trip, ride-through and anti-islanding

• Inverter fault current contribution and its impact on overcurrent protection

• Protection blinding, sympathetic tripping and reverse power flow

• Reclosing with DER: out-of-phase reclosing and transfer trip

• Interconnection transformer configurations and grounding

• Microgrid protection: grid-connected and islanded modes, adaptive setting groups

• Case study: DER interconnection protection review

Module 8: Transformer Protection

• Transformer faults, magnetizing inrush and through-fault withstand (IEEE C57.109)

• Fuse and overcurrent protection of distribution transformers

• Percent differential (87T): pickup, slope and harmonic restraint

• Restricted earth fault and volts per hertz protection

• Sudden pressure and Buchholz relays, thermal monitoring

• Transformer management relay example

Module 9: Sub-Transmission and Distribution Line Protection

• Line classifications, system impedance ratio (SIR) and line impedance

• Distance protection: R-X diagram, mho and reactance characteristics

• Stepped-distance zones and settings

• Pilot schemes: DCB, POTT and current reversal

• Line current differential: dual-slope characteristic and CT saturation

• Line protection on feeders with DER

Module 10: Motor Protection and Relay Setting Case Study

• Induction motor fundamentals, failure modes and voltage unbalance (NEMA MG 1)

• Thermal limit curves and thermal modeling

• Motor protection functions: 49, 50/51, 46, 66 and 87M

• Case study: complete 800 HP motor relay setting calculation

• Protection settings and arc flash incident energy (IEEE 1584-2018), maintenance mode

• Event report and oscillography (COMTRADE) review

• Course review and final test

COURSE SCHEDULE

Both days:

Start: 10 a.m. Eastern Time
Finish: 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time

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Earn Continuing Education Unit (CEU) Credits

Successful completion of this course qualifies delegates to receive a certificate of course completion with indicated CEUs.
One CEU is equivalent to 10 professional development hours of instruction.
This course earns 1.2 CEUs.

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