If current Iac1 is always positive, it flows only in the free- Figure 3.

Figure 3.85 - DC component values of the ground fault current Ig as a func-

tion of the fault resistance Rg in systems with the neutral point of the MV/
wheeling diodes of cathodic star (Figure 3.84a) and in

3 Fault analysis
LV transformer grounded with ESS (Idcn = 125 A)
the IGBTs of the anodic star (Figure 3.84b).
4500

Figure 3.84a – Trend of Isw1 current during a ground fault on DC side in 4000
systems with the neutral point of the MV/LV transformer grounded with
ESS and Rg = 50 mΩ 3500

200 3000

0 2500

Ig [A]
2000
-200
1500
-400 1000
Isw1 [A]

-600 800

0
-800
100 10 1 0.1 0.01 0.001
Rsc [Ω]
-1000

-1200
0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65
t [s]
If the IGBT block is considered, the currents Isw1 and Isw2
Figure 3.84b – Trend of Isw2 current during a ground fault on DC side in change as shown in Figures 3.86a-b.
systems with the neutral point of the MV/LV transformer grounded with
ESS and Rg = 50 mΩ As it can be seen, unlike in Figures 3.84a-b, there is no
1200 longer the PWM control and in particular, since Isw2 flowed
only in the IGBT, now it is cancelled.
1000
As a result, the ESS contribution to the ground fault cur-
800 rent is interrupted.
600
Isw2 [A]

400

200 Figure 3.86a – Trend of Isw1 current during a ground fault on DC side in
systems with the neutral point of the MV/LV transformer grounded with
0 ESS, IGBT block and Rg = 50 mΩ

-200 200

-400 0
0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65
t [s] -200

-400
To sum up, Figure 3.85 depicts the DC ground fault
Isw1 [A]

-600
current values Ig as a function of the fault resistance Rg
with the ESS. -800
As we can see, with the decrease of Rg, the fault current
-1000
may reach values even higher than 33 times the FEC
nominal current on the DC side Idcn. -1200

As a result, protective devices are required. -1400

0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65
t [s]

Faults in LVDC microgrids with front-end converters 37