Stability Analysis in a Colombian Non-

Interconnected Zone with BESS and PV Systems in

Different Locations of a Recloser as Main
Protection
Luis Felipe Gaitán Cubides
Ingeniería Especializada IEB S.A.
Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
Medellín, Colombia
luis.f.g@ieee.org
Juan David Gomez Ariza
Ingeniería Especializada IEB S.A.
Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
Medellín, Colombia
juan.d.g@ieee.org
Luis Alberto Zapata Giraldo, M.Sc.
Ingeniería Especializada IEB S.A.
Medellín, Colombia
luis.zapata@ieb.co

Jose de Jesus Jaramillo Serna, M.Sc. Jorge Wilson González Sánchez, Ph.D.
Ingeniería Especializada IEB S.A. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
Medellín, Colombia Medellín, Colombia
jose.jaramillo@ieb.co jorgew.gonzalez@upb.edu.co

Abstract— Various areas of Colombia meet their energy
needs from the generation of electricity with Diesel generators
since they are not connected to the National Interconnected
System (SIN for its acronym in Spanish). In some of these areas,
generation systems have been installed from unconventional
sources, whose characteristics make them ideal power systems
to propose and evaluate different protection strategies and
schemes. Due to the importance of maintaining the electrical
service in these populations, in this work the installation of a
recloser in different parts of the system is proposed to increase
the reliability of the network in the event of failures in different
parts of the distribution system and its stability is evaluated in
the same way with the operation of these devices through RMS
simulations.
Keywords— Isolated Grid, Non-Interconnected Zone,
Reclosers, Non-Conventional Sources of Renewable Energy,
Stability.
I. INTRODUCTION
In Colombia, 80% of the electricity demand is met through
the National Interconnected System (SIN), which covers
approximately 48% of the national territory. The populations
found in 52% of the remaining territory meet their energy
needs from the operation of isolated generation units based on
diesel [1]. These territories are called Non-Interconnected
Zones (NIZ) and correspond to municipalities, districts, towns
and villages that for different reasons are not connected to the
SIN[2].
The Institute for the Planning and Promotion of Energy
Solutions for Non-Interconnected Areas (IPSE for its acronym
in Spanish) is the entity in charge of implementing and
monitoring sustainable energy projects that allow access to
electricity to the NIZ, promoting the use of non-conventional
energy sources (FNCE for its acronym in Spanish) as an
energy solution under criteria of efficient energy management
[3]. These locations with FNCE represent a potential research
laboratory in microgrids and could provide lessons on
integration with Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) in
electrical distribution networks [1].
IPSE has installed telemetry systems in 108 NIZ locations.
From these localities there are daily measurements of active,
reactive and apparent energy consumption, power factor,
hours of electricity service provision, average load curve by
type of day of the week and average monthly load curve of
these 108 localities with telemetry information, 10 have
diesel-solar hybrid generation systems [4].
The reports available up to April 2022 show losses in the
energy supply, but do not specify the faults that cause this type
of power outage. In addition, no information is found on the
philosophy of protections in this type of network. A study that
evidences the behavior of the protections of this kind of
networks, arises as a necessity, to guarantee that, in the event
of short circuits in some part of the system, the protection
devices manage to maintain the provision of energy in those
areas of the country.
For this reason, in this work the location of reclosers in the
power system of a NIZ is proposed to improve the reliability
of the network. The content of this work is divided into several
sections. In Section II a brief summary of the characteristics
of the reclosers is made and in Section III the details of the
simulation of a NIZ and the short-circuit analysis in different
operating scenarios are specified. Subsequently, section IV
proposes the location of the reclosers, specifies the sequence
of operation of these devices and the RMS analysis of their
operation. Finally, in Section V an analysis of the results
obtained is carried out and in Section VI the conclusions of
the work are presented.
II. RECLOSER AS A PROTECTION DEVICE IN DISTRIBUTION
NETWORKS
In [5] they define the recloser as a protection device that
combines the functions of detection, fault interruption and
reclosing. The main function of this device is to detect the
fault, clear it and try to restore the service automatically, in
such a way that the reliability conditions of the network are
improved. If the fault is permanent, the recloser must go
through a predetermined sequence of opening and closing
operations before locking in the open position.
In [6] point out that reclosers can eliminate approximately
95% of power outages in overhead distribution systems, since
most faults in these networks are temporary or transient and
mostly last a few cycles or a few seconds; which means for
the network operator a reduction in maintenance costs.
A. Reclosers location and application criteria
The reclosers may be used in any part of the electrical
system, as long as it is guaranteed that their design
characteristics are ideal for the system requirements. Several
authors have used power system indicators and the location of
existing protection devices in the network, for the

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development of recloser location algorithms in mid and large The selection of the reclose delay depends on the nature of
networks [7] [8] [9]. the fault and the expected extinction time. For example, a
longer delay setting will reduce the chance of over tripping
In [6], [10] and [11] are indicated how one of the functions and automatic reclosing for intermittent faults.
of the recloser is to function as a disconnector for long circuits,
preventing outputs of the entire feeder in the event of a fault A delay time shorter than the intermittent fault time will
and also acting as protection against faults in the branches allow the recloser to reset, thus preventing lockout. Increasing
with important loads, derived from the main feeder. When the reset time on the recloser prevents excessive operations,
selecting a recloser, the operating sequence will be determined but could cause unwanted blocking operationsdeseadas [13].
by the network configuration, the type of loads associated with
it, and the characteristics of the other sectionalizing devices III. SIMULATION OF A COLOMBIAN NIZ
with which the recloser must coordinate. In [12], they point A. NIZ system Model
out the following recommendations for the selection of
reclosers in the network: The NIZ was modeled in DIgSILENT® PowerFactory
Software, corresponding to the electrical system of the towns
1. Identify the voltage level of the network. of Nazareth and Puerto Estrella, located in the municipality
2. Determine the maximum load current, anticipating the of Uribia, Guajira. This NIZ was selected because in addition
growth of the load on the network. to having diversified non-conventional energy sources, the
3. Determine the maximum symmetrical fault current at the system feeds two different populations. The information on
recloser location.
this system was taken from the latest telemetry report
4. Determine the minimum fault current at the end of the
available at the time of writing this paper [4] and is listed in
zone protected by the recloser.
5. From the chosen device, the coordination of protections Table I and in Fig. 2.
with the other devices in the circuit is performed. Table I. Modeled NIZ infrastructure. Source [4].
6. If various types of reclosers meet all the required Generation System
conditions, the flexibility of the recloser control should be Item Device Capacity Status
considered. 1 PV System 320 kWp Operating
364 kW / 659
2 SDMO Operating
Regarding the number of reclosers to be installed in a kVA
given distribution circuit, the general recommendation is not 600 kW / 455
3 CATERPILLAR Operating
to use more than those that can be effectively coordinated to kVA
BESS (480 batteries
guarantee their selective operation, in such way that the 4
3350 Ah 2V)
Operating
reliability of the distribution network is not affected [6] [12]. Transformers
Item Capacity Status
B. Sequence of Operation
1 300 kVA (MAGNETRON) Operating
In [6] it is pointed out that when a recloser detects a fault 2 300 kVA (RYMEL) Operating
in the system, this device must act quickly, in order to Loads
minimize the probability of damage to the distribution system. Number of
Item Population Capacity
The operating times of the first stage of recloser tripping Users
1 Nazareth 244
should be set at values that do not allow voltage drop. After 306,7 kW
2 Puerto Estrella 146
one or two fast operations, the recloser switches to a "slow"
tripping operation, which allows more time to clear
"persistent" faults and achieve with this combination of
tripping, a more effective coordination with other protection
devices of the system.
If after performing a reclosing sequence, the fault persists,
the recloser will remain open. In this situation, the fault must
be located and cleared, and the recloser closed. The typical
operating sequence can be seen in Fig. 1, with which the first
trip is intended to be as fast as possible, so as to prioritize the Fig. 2. Diagram of the NIZ of Uribia, Guajira. Source [4].
protection of both living beings and equipment that may be To determine the value of the power demand in the
affected by the fault. network, the power demand values by the NIZ from January
2020 to the last report available from IPSE were analyzed.
The power values identified in these reports are summarized
in Table II. The simulated model is shown in Fig. 3.
Table II. Telemetry Values in the NIZ of Uribia in La Guajira
Average Daily
Active Reactive Apparent Maximum
Power Service
Value Energy Energy Energy
Factor
Power
Performance
(kWh) (kVARh) (kVAh) (kW)
(h)
Fig. 1. Typical Reclosing Sequence. Source: [6]
Minimum 15660 7303 17279 0,89 103,4 3:51:00
On the other hand, reclosing attempts after the quick trip
are made more slowly, so that the protection devices closest Maximum 71218 22324 74635 0,97 306,7 13:49:00
to the fault (fuses or disconnectors) are given the opportunity Average 36872 14500 39718 0,92 223,7 8:51:43
to clear the fault. This criterion is extremely important to
improve the reliability of the network, due to the temporary or
transient nature of faults in distribution systems.

Fig. 3. Schematic of the NIZ modeled in Powerfactory
B. Simulation Scenarios
For the development of this case study, two NIZ base
operating scenarios were considered for the analysis of load
flow and short circuits, which were determined according to
the actual operation of this electrical system documented
in [4].
1) Daytime Scenario (D)
In this scenario, the solar photovoltaic generation and the
battery group feed the two medium voltage circuits of
Nazareth and Puerto Estrella. On days with high levels of
sunshine and low cloud cover, this scenario occurs from
6:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., but if during the day there are no
good levels of sunshine or high cloud cover, this scenario
occurs from 6:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
2) Night Scenario (N)
In this scenario, the 569 kVA diesel generator feeds the
two medium voltage circuits of Nazareth and Puerto Estrella.
This scenario occurs from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, on days with
high levels of sunshine and low cloud cover, but if during the
day there are no good levels of sunshine or high cloud cover,
this scenario occurs from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM. After this
time, the power supply is cut off to save fuel. Fig. 4 shows
the average load curve of the NIZ.
Fig. 4. Monthly Average Daily Load Curve in April 2021 (red) and April
2022 (Blue). Source: [4].
C. Controls in the Generation Units
On the other hand, different control models were included
in the simulation in the different generating units of the
system.
1) Photovoltaic System
The control with which the NIZ PV generation was
simulated is the WECC Large-scale PV Plant model, shown
in Fig. 5. This model does not include inverter and plant
protection, however, existing generator protection models
can be used to represent time-delayed frequency and voltage
protection settings. [14].
Fig. 5. Schematic of the WECC Generic Model for Large-scale PV Plants.
Source: [15]
2) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
The WECC BESS Control System is used to control the
BESS. This model concentrates mainly on VSC controls for
frequency regulation, constant PQ control, constant power
factor control and voltage regulation with droop
characteristic. [16][17][18].
Fig. 6. Overall model structure of a BESS using WECC generic models.
Source: [18]
3) Diesel Generation System
The TGOV1 control model is used for diesel generators.
This model is one of the simplest controls, where the different
electrical and mechanical behavior of the machine is
represented. [19].
Fig. 7. Control model implemented in the simulation. Source: [19]
Finally, for the dispatch of the generation units during the
active simulation during Scenario D, an External Station
Controller is configured, which allows the parallel dispatch
of the photovoltaic system and the BESS, through the control
of the voltage level at the node where both units are
electrically connected and the distribution of reactive power,
which is performed according to the nominal power of the
units, resulting in a distribution of 66% for PV generation and
the remaining 33% for the BESS.
D. Assumptions
Within the analysis performed, and based on the
information in Table II, the following assumptions were
made:
• For all loads a 0.97 power factor.
• Both the 244 loads of Puerto Estrella and the 146 loads
of Nazareth have a value of 0.78 kW.
• To model the electrical system of the two towns, 5
distribution transformers were placed for the town of
Nazareth and 3 for Puerto Estrella; both of 45 kVA.
 • Regardless of the simulation scenario, the demand will In DIgSILENT® PowerFactory Software, balanced RMS
be 306 kW, which is the maximum demand recorded simulations are performed, which consider the dynamics of
in the telemetry reports analyzed since January 2020 electromechanical, control and thermal devices [22].
and corresponds to the maximum demand presented in The simulated phenomena for study case 1 are shown in
August 2021. Table IV and for study case 2 are shown in Table V.
• The short-circuit data for all the transformers in the Table IV. Sequence of Operation Study Case 1.
model are taken from the Colombian Technical Event Time (s)
Standard on Transformers [20]. Simulation of the three-phase fault in
• The 455 kVA diesel generator is a backup generator 1 the primary node of the 300 kVA 5,2
that only comes into operation when the Caterpillar transformers.
2 Recloser opening 5,25
generator goes out of service. 3 Fault remains N/A
E. Short Circuit Analysis 4 Recloser closing 6,25
5 Recloser opening 6,3
In order to identify the short-circuit levels in the system, 6 Clear Fault 6,8
a short-circuit calculation is performed in the nodes of 7 Recloser closing 7,3
interest of the power system. Table III shows the results of Table V. Sequence of Operation Study Case 2.
this analysis. For this work, the "Complete Method", also Event Time (s)
known as superposition method, was used. This method is a 1
Simulation of the three-phase fault
5
development of DIgSILENT® PowerFactory and is used in the distribution circuit.
because it more faithfully reflects real short-circuit 2 Recloser opening 5,1
3 Fault remains N/A
conditions, which makes it ideal for application in operational 4 Recloser closing 6,1
analysis, such as those corresponding to electrical 5 Recloser opening 6,2
protections. 6 Clear Fault 6,7
7 Recloser closing 7,2
Table III. Short-circuit levels at both distribution and generation
nodes. V. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
Voltage 3F [kA] 2F [kA] 2F-G [kA] 1F [kA]
Node [kV] Sc. D Sc. N Sc. D Sc. N Sc. D Sc. N Sc. D Sc. N A. Study Case 1
Generation
0,4 3,47 6,52 0,78 5,99 0,78 10,25 0,02 10,1
Node After the failure in the primary node of both 300 kVA
Puerto Estrella
13,2 0,08 0,12 0,02 0,11 0,12 0,16 0,04 0,16 transformers, the operation sequence seen in Table IV is
Circuit
Nazareth
executed in both scenarios, obtaining the following results.
13,2 0,08 0,12 0,02 0,11 0,12 0,16 0,04 0,16
Circuit
1) Daytime Scenario
IV. STABILITY ANALYSIS OF A RECLOSER AS A PROTECTIVE Fig. 8 shows the frequency of both the faulted node and
ELEMENT IN A NIZ the secondary of the distribution transformer to Nazareth. It
is evident that, at the time of the fault, the increase in the value
A. Recloser Location
of the system frequency is so high that the controllers of the
For the analysis of the operation of the recloser as a PV and BESS systems of the NIZ disconnect the generation
protection element within the NIZ, two case studies are of the circuit. Therefore, in this scenario, it is not appropriate
analyzed: to have the recloser connected at this point of the network.
1) Study case 1 (SC1)
In this study case, the recloser is located at the generation
output. Here we will analyze the behavior of the system in the
event of a fault in the primary node of both 300 kVA
transformers. Two recloser reclosures are simulated, in the
first one the fault is not cleared, the recloser recloses again
and then the fault is cleared.
2) Study case 2 (SC2)
In this study case, the recloser is located in the secondary Fig. 8. SC1-D Scenario Frequency
winding of the substation transformers. Here the behavior of 2) Night Scenario
the system in the event of a fault in the distribution circuit The upper part of Fig. 9 shows the frequency of the
will be evaluated. Two reclosing of the recloser are faulted node and the secondary of the distribution transformer
simulated, in the first one the fault is not cleared, the recloser to Nazareth, while the lower part shows the voltage and
recloses again and then the fault is cleared. frequency levels at the generator terminals. It is evidenced
B. RMS Simulations and Sequence of Operation that, after the first recloser closing at 6.25 s of the simulation,
In order to evaluate the system behavior in the two cases the observed frequency levels increase greatly, which would
of study mentioned above, an RMS simulation is performed, cause the protections to trip and the circuit to disconnect.
with the objective of identifying the changes in the power, Therefore, in this scenario it is not appropriate to have the
voltage and frequency variables of the system. In addition, recloser connected at this point of the network.
this type of simulations allows modeling short-circuit
contingencies in an outstanding way [21].
 Fig. 9. SC1-N Scenario Frequency and Voltage
B. Study Case 2
After the fault occurs in the secondary winding of the
transformer secondary winding of the distribution circuit of
the Puerto Estrella population and the operation sequence seen
in Table V is executed in both scenarios, obtaining the
following results.
1) Daytime Scenario
Fig. 10 shows the voltage and frequency in both the
secondary winding of the Nazareth 300 kVA distribution
transformer and the common node of the generation units. It
is observed that, although there is a drop in the voltage at the
common node connecting the generators during recloser
operations, the frequency value at that node remains stable.
Similarly, during the recloser operations, the voltage and
frequency drop in the circuit is observed, but on this occasion,
there is no total de-energization of the circuit.
Fig. 10. SC2-D Scenario Frequency
2) Night Scenario
The upper part of Fig. 11 shows the voltage and frequency
both in the secondary winding of the 300 kVA distribution
transformer of Nazareth and in the common node of the
generation units. It is evidenced that, after the recloser
opening at 5.1s the observed frequency levels increase greatly
and after the closing process (6.1s) and reopening (6.2s) they
reach even higher levels, which would cause the protections
to trip and the circuit to disconnect.
For this reason, in this scenario it is not appropriate to
have the recloser connected at this point of the network.
Fig. 11. SC1-N Scenario Frequency and Voltage
VI. CONCLUSIONS
The recloser is a protection device that offers advantages
and benefits that could improve the reliability of a NIZ in the
presence of electrical faults in the protected circuit, but this
depends on the correct location of the devices in the power
system. In the stability analysis carried out in this work, it was
evidenced that when placing the recloser at the generation
output, with its tripping, very high frequency and voltage
levels are observed in both simulation scenarios, which
translates into the disconnection of the devices before the
tripping of the control and protection systems.
However, when located in the distribution circuits of the
network, a better behavior is observed in the Day scenario,
which is the scenario of longer operation time in the system,
and where it is identified that after the recloser trip, the power
system continues to operate.
VII. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to thank the engineer Gustavo
Alonso Gutierrez Rodriguez for his advice during the
development of this article.
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