A two stage fault location algorithm for locating faults on transmission lines

A continuous and reliable electrical energy supply is the objective of any power system operation. Electricity is the driving force behind industry and subsequently economy. There are various types of faults appear in power system. Faults can appear due to bad weather conditions, equipment damage, equipment failure, environment changes and many other reasons. Any occurrence of a fault should be detected and cleared by the protective relaying devices. Fast and accurate fault location is a key task for accelerating system restoration, reducing outage times, and hence, improving system reliability. The aim of this project is to develop a two stage fault location algorithm that can determine the distance to the fault. The proposed two-stage fault-location algorithm is applicable for transposed and untransposed transmission lines and is independent of the fault resistance and source impedances. The synchronization angle is determined by using Newton-Raphson method. The maximum error reached from this algorithm is less than: 0.18% for LG faults, 0.20% for LL faults, and 0.26% for LLG faults.