Launch of the MUSTANG Project: Ultra-Fast Protection Systems for Greater Safety in Power Grids and Facilities

Dresden, October 19, 2026 – With the launch of the MUSTANG research project —“Ultrafast Protection Systems to Enhance the Safety of Complex Grid and Plant Structures with Real-Time Validation”— the development of innovative solutions for the safe and reliable operation of complex power grids and plants begins. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and is being carried out jointly by the TUD Dresden University of Technology, OPAL-RT Technologies Germany GmbH, ELATEC Power Distribution GmbH, Sprecher Automation Deutschland GmbH, and the University of Applied Sciences Dresden (HTW Dresden).

The goal of MUSTANG is to develop protection systems that detect and respond to faults—such as arc faults—more quickly and precisely. The focus is on developing innovative protection systems by improving protection algorithms for fault location and arc fault detection, as well as methods for reversible arc extinction. With the help of modern technologies, including hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) simulations and traveling-wave-based detection methods, the project aims to minimize damage to equipment and personal injury and to enhance the security of the energy supply.

A key component of the project is the establishment of a real-time “real-world lab” at the TUD Dresden University of Technology. It enables the dynamic testing of protection systems in complex grid structures and high-power distribution systems under conditions that closely mimic reality. To this end, TU Dresden is developing real-time models for the propagation of traveling waves and fault arcs, as well as traveling-wave-based algorithms for arc detection.

Through the collaboration of the five project partners, scientific expertise and industrial know-how are combined to develop innovative protection systems and validate them under real-world conditions. The protection systems targeted by MUSTANG are designed to function robustly and reliably while offering improved speed and selectivity. In this way, the project makes an important contribution to enhancing the safety of both equipment and personnel.

About MUSTANG: The MUSTANG collaborative project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, is dedicated to the development and validation of ultra-fast protection systems for complex grid and plant structures. Project partners include the TUD Dresden University of Technology, OPAL-RT Technologies Germany GmbH, ELATEC Power Distribution GmbH, Sprecher Automation Deutschland GmbH, and the University of Applied Sciences Dresden. A particular focus is on real-time modeling of transient fault behavior, traveling-wave-based arc fault detection, and the dynamic testing of innovative protection systems in TU Dresden’s real-time real-world laboratory.