Integration of fault location in a smart grid operating system

Abstract

The paper describes the advantages and constrains of integrating of a fault location functionality to the system that is used by a dispatch center to operate a Smart Grid in the electricity distribution sector. An electricity distribution grid contains a large number of power lines and equipments distributed over a wide area that might be the size of an entire country (see Figure 1 ). A great number of these equipment are power protection equipment capable of detecting power faults as they occur, protecting consumers and the grid itself from the consequences of these faults. When a fault is detected in a remote location, such as a power line, it is necessary to dispatch repair teams to the field to locate the place where the fault occurred. If it occurs on rough ground (i.e. forests or mountains) or during bad weather (i.e. storms or hurricanes), the most common situation, this job gets significantly harder. We are able to detect a fault occurrence but we are not able to easily locate where it physically occurred.