Using numerical protection relays as asset management tools

This paper provides in-depth examples of condition-based monitoring using numerical relays. Condition-based monitoring - which combines both corrective and preventive approaches to maintenance - is more economical and timely, ensuring that the right maintenance work is done at the right time by identifying the root cause(s) of the problems. This proactive managed maintenance approach, a form of asset management, improves utility profitability. This paper details the use of modern numerical protection relays as asset management tools to perform the following tasks: (1) automatic fault location for transmission and distribution lines (2) through-fault analysis for transformers (3) circuit breaker-wear monitoring (4) voltage transformer failure monitoring.