Adaptive single-end transient-based scheme for detection and location of open conductor faults in HV transmission lines

Abstract

Detection and location of open conductor in transmission systems using single-end data is a challenging task. This paper proposes a novel integrated scheme to detect and locate different types of open conductor faults (OCFs) in HV transmission systems. The proposed scheme unit (PSU) applies Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) with single-level decomposition on local current signals to detect OCFs correctly using adaptively estimated threshold values. PSU is also capable of dealing correctly with various normal transient conditions such as load/capacitor switching. To ensure quick repair of OCFs, PSU captures the transient voltage surges and applies a fault location scheme using DWT and Clark Transformation to accurately estimate the location of different OCFs types. Extensive ATP simulations are employed to check the PSU performance under various OCFs conditions on a 345kV, 100km transmission line. The achieved results confirm the effectiveness, robustness, and reliability of PSU in detecting correctly OCFs as well as the low-impedance faults within only 1.25 cycles. Moreover, the percentage error in estimating OCFs location is less than 1%. PSU has also confirmed its capability to be applied in cascaded lines without any communication or synchronization between PSUs.