Field experiment using transient energy method to locate a single-phase to ground fault

Abstract

Distribution networks in China and several other countries are predominantly neutral inefficiently grounding systems (NIGSs), and more than 80% of the faults in distribution networks are single-phase-to-ground (SPG) faults. Because of the weak fault current and imperfect monitoring equipment configurations, methods used to determine the faulty line sections with SPG faults in NIGSs are ineffective. The development and application of distribution-level phasor measurement units (PMUs) provide further comprehensive fault information for fault diagnosis in a distribution network. When an SPG fault occurs, the transient energy of the faulted line section tends to be higher than the sum of the transient energies of other line sections. In this regard, transient energy-based fault location algorithms appear to be a promising resolution. In this study, a field test plan was designed and implemented for a 10 kV distribution network. The test results demonstrate the effectiveness of the transient energy-based SPG location method in practical distribution networks.