Abstract
With the deep integration of smart grids and information and communication technologies, power system relay protection is undergoing a fundamental transformation from traditional localized, closed architectures to communication-based, distributed, and collaborative intelligent protection systems. The incorporation of communication technologies has significantly enhanced the real-time performance and accuracy of fault detection, information exchange, and coordinated control, leading to substantial improvements in core functions such as response speed, selectivity, and adaptability. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the key applications and technological evolution of communication technologies in the field of relay protection in recent years, with a focus on the integration patterns and performance characteristics of optical fiber communication, fifth-generation mobile communication, phasor measurement units, and software-defined networking. It further explores the collaborative mechanisms within communication-based distributed relay protection architectures, as well as the research progress and application potential of big data and artificial intelligence in fault identification, adaptive setting, and coordinated decision-making control. In addition, this study analyzes the critical challenges faced by relay protection communication systems in terms of reliability assurance, network security, communication latency control, and standardization, while reviewing key research trends and representative engineering practices both domestically and internationally. Finally, the paper envisions future development trends of relay protection systems toward adaptive, self-healing, and pervasively intelligent coordination. This work aims to provide researchers and practitioners with a comprehensive and systematic overview of technologies and cutting-edge research, serving as a technical reference for building a new generation of highly reliable and intelligent power system protection frameworks.
