Advanced Fault Location Solution for Distribution Systems Using IED Information and the Detailed Feeder Model

This paper presents a state-of-the-art distribution system fault location solution that uses information from all available intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) associated with the feeder together with a detailed feeder model to provide accurate fault location estimation. The system uses a reactance-based method to minimize the impact of load and fault resistance on the fault location estimation accuracy. It also uses efficient topology processing and search algorithms to quickly identify the possible fault location. We use real-world event data to verify the performance of the fault location algorithm. Finally, the paper presents the architecture of the automatic fault location system that has been deployed by one utility company as a part of its smart grid efforts.