Two-stage fault section location for distribution networks based on compressed sensing with estimated voltage measurements

Abstract

Methods for fault location in distribution networks based on compressed sensing (CS) have been investigated and the results have demonstrated some degree of feasibility over the past years. However, in the case of a fault occurring close to a line’s terminal, the existing methods typically cannot locate the fault section correctly but just locate the fault to the bus near the fault point or adjacent section rather than the fault section. To improve the accuracy of fault location, a two-stage fault section location method is proposed in this paper. In the first stage, the CS-based model is solved by using all the measured voltages, and the fault candidate sections are identified. In the second stage, the node impedance matrix of the subnetwork formed by the fault candidate sections are calculated, and the voltage amplitudes of the buses around this subnetwork are estimated, which are then used to solve the CS-based model to finally determine fault section. Validations are implemented on a modified IEEE 33 bus system and a modified 134-bus system. The results verify a satisfactory performance in fault section location under various fault conditions.