On the Use of LoRa Technology for Logic Selectivity in MV Distribution Networks

Abstract

In this paper, a logic selectivity system based on Long Range (LoRa) technology for the protection of medium-voltage (MV) networks is proposed. The development of relays that communicate with each other using LoRa allows for the combination of the cost-effectiveness and ease of installation of wireless networks with long-range coverage and reliability. The realized demonstrator to assess the proposed system is also presented in the paper; based on different types of faults and different locations, the times needed for clearing a fault and restoring the network were estimated from repeated experiments. The obtained results confirm that, with an optimized design of transmitted packets and of protocol characteristics, LoRa communication grants fault management that meets the criteria of logic selectivity, with fault isolation occurring within the maximum allowed time.