An Optimized Protection Coordination Scheme for the Optimal Coordination of Overcurrent Relays Using a Nature-Inspired Root Tree Algorithm

In electrical engineering problems, bio- and nature-inspired optimization techniques are valuable ways to minimize or maximize an objective function. We use the root tree algorithm (RTO), inspired by the random movement of roots, to search for the global optimum, in order to best solve the problem of overcurrent relays (OCRs). It is a complex and highly linear constrained optimization problem. In this problem, we have one type of design variable, time multiplier settings (TMSs), for each relay in the circuit. The objective function is to minimize the total operating time of all the primary relays to avoid excessive interruptions. In this paper, three case studies have been considered. From the simulation results, it has been observed that the RTO with certain parameter settings operates better compared to the other up-to-date algorithms.