Tracing passive traveling surge-based fault management control scheme in unearthed distribution systems

Abstract

In this paper, a novel enhanced centralized fault management technique is proposed for smart unearthed distribution systems based on tracing passive traveling waves. The main objective of the proposed scheme is to efficiently identify the faulted section among multiple short-length sections within the distribution system. This is accomplished by installing synchronized surge detectors at both the lateral panel substations and the ends of branches. The identification process relies on analyzing the amplitudes and time stamps of the first arrival waves of the voltages. The distribution system is divided into zones based on the number of lateral panel substations, and the proposed approach encompasses three essential steps: determining the faulted zone, identifying the faulted path within the determined zone, and precisely pinpointing the faulted section. The faulted zone is determined by comparing the energies of the first arrival waves across all lateral panel substations. To identify the faulted path and section, two criteria and a voting system are proposed. The strength of the proposed scheme lies in its ability to cover all possible fault scenarios at various locations. Extensive tests are conducted using the detailed simulation of the IEEE 33-bus system with the PSCAD program. The mathematical core of the proposed approach is implemented using MATLAB. The results obtained from these simulations confirm the high reliability of the proposed fault management scheme, making it a viable solution for implementation in distribution systems.