Fault location in distribution networks using Prony analysis

This paper proposes a new fault location method in distribution networks using Prony analysis. This method just needs the measured voltage transients without multi-recording nodes. Fault-originated traveling waves propagate along the distribution network and reflect at the discontinuity points, so the recorded transients contain some characteristic frequencies associated with specific paths, which can reveal the fault position. Firstly, model and simulate the distribution network using PSCAD/EMTDC to get the recorded signals associated with the typical fault positions. Secondly, extract the frequencies of the recorded signal using Prony analysis to generate the database for fault location. Finally, the real fault-originated signal will be analyzed to locate the fault point by searching the database for fault location based the matching rule. The matching rule is the least squares between the frequencies of the real fault-originated signal and the frequencies corresponding one typical fault position in the database. The simulation results demonstrate that the method is practical, reliable and effective.