A fuzzy-set approach to fault-type identification in digital relaying

Sometime the operations that a relay is required to perform cannot be easily described in a deterministic way. A significant example of this situation is given by the operations a line relay must perform in order to detect the type of fault (line-to-ground, line-to-line, line-to-line involving ground). The mathematical theory of fuzzy sets featured many practical applications, mainly in industrial controls, and fuzzy-set processors are available to allow real time applications. This paper shows that a fuzzy-set approach can be useful even in digital relaying, whenever “fuzzy” decisions have to be undertaken. A possible application to the detection of the type of fault when symmetrical component relaying techniques are adopted is proposed and the results of simulation tests are given