Transmission line fault detection, classification, and localization in smart power grids using synchrophasor measurements

Abstract

Innovations in computational and communication technologies have been instrumental in the transition of conventional power grids to smart power grids (SPG) [1]. In SPG protection systems, one of the major research challenges is the development of real-time self-healing protection methodologies. A major constituent of selfhealing technology is transmission line fault monitoring [1,2]. Intelligent methods play a vital role to precisely detect, classify, and localize the transmission line faults occurring anywhere in the grid. Conventional fault monitoring methodologies for transmission lines are limited to specific transmission line configurations, and these methods have necessarily to be incorporated in all transmission lines. The transfer of information from transmission lines to system protection center (SPC) necessitates proper communication channels, leading to heavy computational and communication burden. SPG protection system tides over this burden. This chapter discusses methodologies for transmission line fault detection, classification, and localization in SPGs using wide-area phasor measurement unit (PMU) measurements, which can overcome the computational and communication burden.