Time Domain Differential Equation Based Fault Location Identification in Mixed Overhead-Underground Power Distribution Systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel time-domain differential equation method for accurately locating faults in complex mixed overhead-underground power distribution systems, effectively handling challenging fault scenarios with limited measurement data.

Contribution

It presents a new fault location technique based on differential equations that considers system heterogeneity and distributed generation, improving accuracy in complex fault conditions.

Findings

Successfully locates faults in IEEE 34-node test system

Handles sub-cycle, arcing, and evolving faults effectively

Uses limited measurement data for precise fault estimation

Abstract

This paper proposes a time-domain fault location identification method for mixed overhead-underground power distribution systems that can handle challenging fault scenarios such as sub-cycle faults, arcing faults and evolving faults. The proposed method is formulated based on differential equations of the system and accounts for the peculiarities of power distribution systems with distributed generations. It considers the presence of loads, multi-phase laterals and sub-laterals, heterogenous overhead and underground lines, and infeeds and remote-end fault current contributions of distributed generations. It utilizes data collected by limited number of measuring devices installed in modern power distribution systems to systematically eliminate possible multiple fault location estimations to provide a single correct estimation of the actual location of the fault. The performance of the proposed method is demonstrated using IEEE 34-node test system.