Abstract This article presents the design and validation of a virtual protection system concept utilizing a Python-based software environment. Unlike traditional hardware-centric relays, this approach leverages software-defined logic to enhance flexibility and scalability in distribution networks. The study focuses on the development of a virtual protection architecture, including a custom-built input signal generator to simulate fault conditions without physical hardware. Specific protection functions, including ANSI-59PGQ (Overvoltage) and ANSI-27 (Undervoltage), were implemented and tested. The system demonstrated a processing latency of 5–20 ms during simulation cycles, validating the algorithmic efficiency. While the current prototype relies on soft real-time simulation, the results confirm that the proposed virtual protection logic is capable of detecting faults with reaction times comparable to commercial digital relays, paving the way for future hardware-integrated implementations.
Bobček et al. (2026) studied this question.