About the RoleThe Protection Engineer is responsible for the design, analysis, and validation of protection systems for microgrids and Solid-State Transformer (SST)-based power systems. This role ensures safe and reliable operation of the system under both normal and faulted conditions through proper protection scheme design, circuit breaker selection and control, and coordination studies.
The Protection Engineer works closely with simulation, HIL, controls, and system design teams to develop protection strategies that align with system architecture, grid requirements, and operational constraints.
Key ResponsibilitiesProtection System Design- Design and develop protection schemes for microgrid systems and SST-based architectures
- Define protection philosophy for:
- Grid-connected and islanded operation
- Mode transitions and reconnection
- Abnormal and fault conditions
- Select and specify protection elements including:
- Overcurrent, differential, distance, and voltage/frequency protections
- Inverter-based protection strategies for limited fault current systems
Circuit Breaker Sizing & Control- Perform circuit breaker sizing and specification based on:
- Fault current levels (including inverter-limited contributions)
- Voltage class, duty cycle, and interrupting ratings
- System topology and grounding scheme
- Define breaker control requirements including:
- Trip logic and coordination with protection relays
- Reclosing and sequencing logic (where applicable)
- Integration with system controls and microgrid controllers
- Ensure proper selection of switching devices for both AC and DC (if applicable)
Protection Coordination Studies- Perform protection coordination and selectivity studies across the system.
- Analyze and coordinate:
- Time-current characteristics (TCC curves)
- Relay settings and grading margins
- Breaker trip timing and sequencing
- Ensure coordination between:
- Utility interfaces
- SST protection
- Downstream feeders and loads
- DERs (where applicable)
- Validate coordination under both grid-connected and islanded conditions
Fault Analysis & System Studies- Perform fault studies for:
- Symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults
- Low-fault-current inverter-dominated systems
- Analyze system response including:
- Fault current magnitude and duration
- Protection operation and clearing times
- Impact on system stability and control performance
- Support both offline simulation and HIL validation of protection behavior.
Collaboration with Simulation & HIL Teams- Work with simulation engineers to:
- Model protection behavior in MATLAB/Simulink and EMT tools
- Work with HIL engineers to:
- Validate protection schemes in RTDS environments
- Test relay behavior and breaker operation under realistic fault scenarios
- Support integration between protection systems and control/firmware implementation
Documentation & Reporting- Develop and maintain:
- Protection philosophy documents
- Coordination studies and reports
- Device settings and configuration files
- Clearly communicate protection design decisions, assumptions, and risks
Minimum Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or related field
- 5+ years of experience in power system protection engineering
- Strong understanding of:
- Protection principles (overcurrent, differential, distance, etc.)
- Circuit breaker selection and operation
- Protection coordination methodologies
- Experience performing coordination studies and fault analysis
- Familiarity with microgrid or distribution-level power systems
- Ability to interpret system one-line diagrams and develop protection schemes
Preferred Qualifications- Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Power Systems
- Experience with:
- Microgrids and inverter-dominated systems
- SSTs or power-electronic-based distribution systems
- Familiarity with:
- ETAP, SKM, PSCAD, or similar protection / fault analysis tools
- MATLAB/Simulink for dynamic studies
- RTDS or HIL environments for protection validation
- Experience working with:
- Utility protection teams or interconnection processes
- Protection relays (SEL, GE, Siemens, ABB, etc.)
- Understanding of:
- Low fault current challenges in inverter-based resources
- Coordination in islanded vs grid-tied systems
Benefit at Delta Electronics AmericasLife at Delta
