Accurate fault location algorithm for transmission line in the presence of series connected FACTS devices

Abstract

This paper presents a new and accurate fault location algorithm based on distributed time domain line model for a transmission line compensated with series connected FACTS device. In the proposed algorithm, in order to compute the voltage drop across the series device during the fault period, the series device model and knowledge about the operating mode of the compensating device are not utilized. For this reason, the proposed technique can be easily applied to any series FACTS compensated line. Samples of voltage and current at both ends of the line are taken synchronously and used to calculate the location and resistance of the fault. The proposed algorithm is not sensitive to fault resistance and fault inception angle and does not require any knowledge of equivalent source impedances. This method has been tested using EMTP/ATP model of a 400 kV, 300 km transmission line compensated with a series FACTS device. The results of computer simulations for different operating conditions demonstrate the very high accuracy and robustness of the algorithm.