Fault section location in urban distribution network based on fault marking

Abstract

The goal is to propose an effective method for locating a fault segment in urban power distribution networks. Urban distribution networks have multiple outgoing lines, switches with multiple connections and have variable topology characteristics. It is found that the fault location method based on matrix algorithm has low adaptive capability and fault tolerance when dealing with complex and variable topology. Therefore, this paper proposes an efficient fault segment location method based on special fault indicators, which can significantly improve the accuracy and reliability of fault location. Accordingly, to improve the accuracy and reliability of fault location, a fault segment location method based on fault marking is proposed. The approach proposed in the paper relies on the analysis of the incident matrix, which describes the relationship between nodes and branches, and allows the use of graph theory. The branch state vector is added to obtain the adjacency matrix, which allows to describe the state of change in the dynamics of the distribution network topology. In the next step, a set of nodes and branches, which reflect the incoming and outgoing interconnections of the nodes, is established based on the selected direction of the network binding. According to the direction of the node fault current, the suspicious branches are identified and labeled to indicate the fault. By cumulative calculation and analysis of the labels, the target branches are screened out and the faulty sections of the city power supply network are identified. The results of the case study conducted in the paper show that the proposed method has good adaptability to the variable topology and increases the fault tolerance and accuracy of the developed matrix algorithm. The topological operating state of the network can be changed by controlling the switches to optimize the operation and improve the reliability of the power supply. Thus, the algorithm for fast and accurate fault location is of great importance for improving the safety and quality of urban power supply.