Fault location for medium voltage underground cables using Bayesian inference

This paper proposes a method for fault location in medium voltage grids with underground cables, using Bayesian inference. The prior distribution of fault position is obtained from the component failure database. With the measured fault loop impedance, the posterior distribution is calculated based on Bayes´ theorem. Several random factors are considered during the calculation, including measurement errors, fault breakdown resistance, and inaccuracies of zero-sequence parameters. The distribution grid operators can use the calculated posterior distribution to rank the possible faulted sections and facilitate the restoration process, which can reduce the interruption duration of power supply.