Distance Protection in IBR-Rich Systems Using an Incremental Time-Domain Algorithm
A. Blazquez, E. Torres, D.M. Larruskain, I. Santamarina, A. Iturregi, P. Eguia Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering in Bilbao, University of the Basque Country EHU, Bilbao, Spain 2026-06-27

Abstract

Currently conventional protection relays may operate unreliably under the reduced inertia conditions and high levels of inverter based resources that characterise modern power systems. The literature consistently shows that existing algorithms and protection systems exhibit vulnerabilities: inappropriate tripping, causing unnecessary interruptions in energy delivery, or undetected faults due to the inherent limitations of traditional relay logic and the limited suitability of phasor-based estimation for representing fast, non-sinusoidal transient behaviour. The paper examines a time-domain incremental approach to enhance the reliability of distance protection functions operating in environments with substantial IBR penetration. Building on the limitations of conventional phasor-based schemes, the work assesses how incremental quantity processing can better characterise the fast, non-sinusoidal transients produced during faults in converter dominated systems. Methodological approach is presented, with the objective of mitigating the impaired impedance-based response observed under inverter-based system conditions, ensuring stable and reliable distance protection performance in several study cases.

Key words:Distance Protection, Incremental Quantity, Inverter Based Resources, Time-Domain.

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