A novel measurement technique for extra high voltage bus bar fault detection

This paper introduces a new fault detection tool for Extra High Voltage (EHV) busbars. The new tool is to be used by extra high speed digital relays to detect busbar faults besides differentiating between close up line faults and busbar ones. The suggested tool uses a new technique that squares both of the instantaneous voltage signal and its complement to produce a unity relation in normal operating conditions. The unity relation will remain undistorted as long as the power system is operating normally; however, this unity relation will change with any sudden change in the voltage signals due to any abnormal conditions. The new tool is then applied on the travelling wave equations to discriminate busbar faults from line ones. The suggested tool is being applied to a 500 kV. busbar arrangement chosen from the Egyptian unified network. The simulation results indicate the capability of the new tool for the detection and discrimination of all types of busbar faults.