Long Transmission Lines Fault Location Based on

Parameter Identification Using One-Terminal Data

Bin Wang, Jiale Suonan, Heqing Liu, Guobing Song
Department of Electrical Engineering
Xi'an Jiaotong University
Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, P.R.China
wangbin.dianqi@gmail.com

AbstractIn this paper, an accurate fault location algorithm a method based on parameter identification, but they ignored
based on parameter identification using single-ended data is the influence of long lines distributed capacitance.
presented. It is inferred from the differential equations of fault
state network and fault component network based on the R-L This paper put forward an accurate single-ended fault
transmission lines model. And it takes the resistance and location algorithm from R-L line model and then utilized in
inductance of the system behind the fault point, the fault distance distributed line model. EMTP simulation results prove that
and fault resistance as unknown variables. These four unknown this method has high accuracy and low time-consumption.
variables can be expressed by the coefficients of fault location Variations of source impedance, fault types and fluctuations in
equations and, therefore, can be obtained by solving those power frequency have been proved to have little effect on it.
coefficients. When it comes to the distributed parameter
transmission lines, an improved algorithm, combining filtering II. THE DERIVATION OF FAULT LOCATION ALGORITHM
and compensating, is carried out to reduce the model error. First, a transmission lines fault location algorithm of
Theoretical analysis and simulation results prove that this single-phase system using R-L model is presented. Then,
algorithm is of high accuracy and low time-consumption. Besides, algorithm for three-phase system will be given. Finally,
it doesnt need iteration and the solution is unique.
algorithm dealing with distributed parameter lines model will
Keywords- long lines; fault location; parameter identification; be acquired.
distributed parameter; compensation algorithm A. Single-phase system
I. INTRODUCTION For the sake of simplicity, R-L model transmission lines
will be used at first. According to Superposition Theorem,
With the increase of transmission lines voltage level and fault network is made of fault state network and fault
transmission capacity, modern power systems become component network, shown in Fig. 1. Terminal-m is the point
increasingly large and complex. Thus the fault location of high where the relay equipment is installed.
voltage transmission lines is becoming more and more
important. Finding the fault distance quickly not only According to Fig. 1(a), based on the Kirchhoffs current
contributes to timely lines repairing and stable power supply, law at the fault point one obtains:
but also plays an important role in the power system security,
stability and economic operation [1].
The principle of fault location using single-ended data is
easy to implement so that it received widespread attentions. Li
and Chen [2] proposed a new method for the impedance fault
location algorithm using one terminal data. However, this
method fails in interphase short circuit fault. Wang and Dong
[3] showed a new method for distance measurement while it is
lacking of instantaneity. Quan and Li et al. [4] reported a
(a) Fault state network
algorithm based on differential equation. But their assumption,
that the current flowing through the fault resistance and the
zero-sequence current measured by the protection have the
same phase, would cause model errors. Another method for
accurate transmission lines fault location algorithm using R-L
model was investigated in [5]. This method requires the initial
value and iteration to solve the nonlinear equations, which
calls for a nonignorable time-consumption. Kang and Suonan
et al. [6] explored a principle of parameter identification
algorithm in the frequency domain. This method also needs to (b) Fault component network
solve the nonlinear equations. Chen and Lv et al. [7] achieved
Fig.1 Equivalent circuit of fault condition in system

978-1-4577-0547-2/12/$31.00 2012 IEEE

 iF = im + in = ( imn + im ) + ( imn + in ) equation and four parameters expressed by coefficients are
(1) listed in (9) and (10).
= im + in
d ( ima + K L 3i0 )
iF = uF / RF (2) uma = x1 ( ima + K R 3i0 ) r1 + L1 +
dt
So the terminal-ns fault current component is: d ( i + K R 3i0 ) d 2 ( ima + K L 3i0 )
x 2 ma r1 + L1 + (9)
u dt dt 2
in = F im (3)
RF
di du
x3 im0 + x 4 m 0 + x5 ma
According to the fault component network in Fig. 1(b), dt dt
based on the Kirchhoffs voltage law, one obtains:
p = x1
d in
in Rn + Ln R = x3 ( Lm 0 + L0 p ) x 4 ( Rm0 + r0 p )
dt

n0
(4) x 4 + x3 x5
d im L = x5 R (10)
im ( Rm + rp ) ( Lm + Lp ) = 0 n0 n0
dt x3 Rn 0 x 4 Rn 0
Substitute (3) in (4), one obtains: RF = +
6 ( Rm 0 + r0 p + Rn 0 ) 6 ( Lm 0 + L0 p + Ln 0 )
du F
u F Rn + Ln = im ( Rm + rp + Rn ) RF Two-phase short circuit faults represent interphase fault
dt and two-phase-earth-fault. Since they share common fault
(5)
d im loops, they can be treated in same ways. So take interphase
+ ( Lm + Lp + Ln ) RF short circuit faults into consideration.
dt
As to two-phase short circuit faults, take mode-1 network
In Fig. 1(a), voltage of fault point is
as fault component network. The fault location equation is:
dim
u F = um im rp Lp (6) di di d 2imbc
dt umbc = x1 imbc r1 + mbc L1 + x 2 mbc r1 + L1
dt dt dt 2
Substitute (6) in (5) the equation can be written as: (11)
d imbc dumbc
+ x3 imbc + x 4 + x5
di di d 2i dt dt
um = x1 im r + m L + x 2 m r + 2m L +
dt dt dt
(7) RF should be divided by 2 due to the slight change of fault
d im du loop in comparison to the single-phase system.
x3 im + x 4 + x5 m
dt dt Three-phase short circuit faults can be regarded as two-
phase short circuit fault, and formula (11) still makes sense.
Where x1 x5 are coefficients of linear equation, the
relationship between them and p (fault distance), RF (fault C. Distributed parameter transmission lines
resistance), Rn and Ln (parameters of remote terminal behind Still using the algorithm based on R-L model, experiment
fault) can be written as: is conduct to examine the impact of distributed parameter
line model: When phase-A to earth fault occurs at 0.205s, the
p = x1 fault point is near the end of the lines (p=260km) and the

R = x3 ( Lm + Lp ) x 4 ( Rm + rp )
fault resistance is 200. The calculation results are shown in
Fig. 2. It can be seen that this method has a serious error

n
x 4 + x3 x5 which is caused by distributed capacitance.
L = x5 R (8)
n n
Prefilter is employed to eliminate high-order harmonics. In
x3 Rn x 4 Rn
RF = + addition, in order to reduce the model error, long lines
2 ( Rm + rp + Rn ) 2 ( Lm + Lp + Ln ) compensation is exploited to compensate line on the left side
of the fault point. For this purpose, it is needed to acquire an
According to (7) and (8), solving the five coefficients in (7) approximate location of the fault from any other less effective
can identify the four parameters including fault distance p. algorithm. Detail compensation process is described in [8].
B. Three-phase system In summary, the algorithm for the distributed parameter is:
Single-phase-earth-fault will be discussed first. Suppose Filter the voltage and current data.
phase A is the fault phase, using Clarke matrix to finish the
phase-mode transformation and taking mode-0 network as Calculate the voltage and current at setting point pset .
fault component network. Derivation process is similar to that Utilize the algorithm based on R-L lines model to get
of single-phase system shown in (1)-(8). The fault location the relative fault distance p .
 The fault distance can be calculated by: p = pset + p .
This algorithm by its nature is an approximate algorithm. It
takes the distributed parameter lines, on the right side of the
fault point, as R-L model. And it runs based on an initial fault
distance provided by a certain other algorithm.
experiments in cases of different source angles, different fault
times and different values of fault resistance have been
conduct and indicates that all these changes have no impact on
fault location.
Tab.1 Simulation results of the parameter identification method-I

Fault Fault Computed location /km

distance/km resistance / A_G B_C BC_G ABC

10 19.990 19.919 20.036 19.918

100 19.995 20.036 20.036 19.981
20
200 19.996 19.913 20.036 20.073
300 19.997 18.691 20.036 19.921
10 99.983 99.967 99.975 99.967
100 99.989 99.977 99.977 99.995
100
200 99.984 99.995 99.976 99.977
300 99.966 100.000 99.976 99.982
10 199.976 199.968 199.973 199.969
100 199.981 199.974 199.973 199.982
200
200 199.988 199.974 199.974 199.978
300 199.990 199.986 199.974 199.729
10 279.971 279.967 279.971 279.967
Fig.2 Calculated value of fault distance in distributed parameter lines 100 279.976 279.971 279.971 279.977
280
model based on R-L models algorithm 200 279.977 279.978 279.971 279.958
300 279.975 279.978 279.972 279.786
III. SIMULATION
EMTP and MATLAB are employed to simulate and
process data, respectively. Sampled data within 10ms are used
and a sliding window analysis is realized.
A. Parameter identification algorithm based on R-L model
method-I

Fig.3 Calculated value of fault distance in single-phase-to-earth fault

It is shown in figure 3 that there is a phase-A earth fault of
R-L model lines occurs at 0.2s, while the fault distance is
280km and the fault resistance is 300. It is proved that this
algorithm can locate the fault distance rapidly and accurately.
The accurate result lasts from 0.2s to about 0.35s, which can
be represented by the flat part of the curve.
When the lines are regarded as R-L model, the computed
fault distance using method-I is shown in Tab.1, while other
Fig.4 The effect of the fault distance
Fig. 4 shows the measured fault distance when single-
phase-earth-fault occurs at 20km, 100km, 200km and 280km,
respectively, with the fault resistance of 200. It can be
concluded from the figure that durations of the accurate fault
location result vary: 0.05s, 0.075s, 0.1s to 0.15s.
 From the results above, they present a law: The duration of It is a time-domain algorithm.
the accurate result increases with fault distance. This law is This algorithm is of the high accuracy and low time-
determined by the time constant of the fault loop response. consumption.
Another law can also be found similarly that the duration Simulation results prove that this method has a high
of the accurate result decreases with the increase of the fault accuracy and isnt affected by the variation of system
resistance. operation modes.
This algorithm needs an initial fault distance provided
B. Parameter identification algorithm based on distributed by a certain less effective algorithm.
parameter long line modelthe parameter identification
method-II References
Tab.2 Simulation results of method-II [1] Ge YZ. New types of protective relaying and fault location: their theory
and technique [M]. Xian: Xian Jiaotong University Press, pp. 217-264,
Fault Fault Computed location//km
1996.
distance resistance
/km / A_G B_C BC_G ABC [2] Li ZM, Chen XY. A novel algorithm for power transmission line fault
location using the one terminal current data [J]. Proceedings of CSEE,
10 59.747 55.206 55.206 57.461 vol. 17, NO. 6, pp. 416-419, 1997.
60
200 45.793 53.797 55.206 53.495 [3] Wang Bin, Dong Xinzhou, Bo Zhiqian, et al. An impedance fault
10 143.802 151.846 148.000 153.811 location algorithm for UHV long transmission lines with single-line-to-
150 ground faults [J]. Automation of Electric Power Systems, vol. 32, NO.
200 149.332 150.830 153.184 151.427 14, pp. 25-29, 2008.
10 239.957 240.472 240.472 240.441 [4] Quan YS, Li P, Zhang Y, Qiu QC, et al. A new one-terminal fault
240
200 234.474 238.212 240.472 237.778 location algorithm based on differential equation [J]. Power System
Technology, vol. 28, NO. 21, pp. 47-50, 2004.
Tab. 2 shows the result of fault location using the
[5] Suonan JL, Qi J, Chen FF, et al . An accurate fault location algorithm f
parameter identification method-II. It can be seen that method- or transmission lines based on RL model parameter identification [J].
II maintains a high accuracy. Its maximum error reaches less Proceedings of the CSE E, vol. 24, NO. 12, pp. 119-125, 2004.
than 1% for faults near the terminal end of lines. [6] Kang Xiaoning, Suonan Jiale. Frequency domain method of fault
location based on parameter identification using one terminal data [J].
Tab.3 Fault distances impact on method-II Proceedings of the CSEE, vol. 25, NO. 2, pp. 22-27, 2005.
Fault distance Fault resistance Fault resistance is [7] Chen Kai, Lv Yanping, Luo Zhijuan. Time domain algorithm of fault
/km is10/km 200/km location based on parameter identification using one terminal data [J].
Electrotechnical Application, vol.28, NO. 23, pp. 40-44, 2009.
60 61.087 55.893
[8] Song Guobing, Liu Linlin, Suonan Jiale, et al. Long transmission line
90 93.291 70.739 distance protection based on parameter identification in time domain [J].
120 124.322 102.795 vol. 33, NO. 18, pp. 67-70, 2009.
210 210.981 220.345 [9] Suonan JL, Kang Xiaoning, Song Guobing, Jiao Zaibin. Survey on relay
300 301.982 308.196 protection using parameter identification [J]. Proceedings of the CSU
EPSA, vol. 19, NO. 1, pp. 14-20, 2007.
Tab. 3 reflects the impact of the fault distances change on [10] Xiaoning Kang, Suonan Jiale, Zhiqian Bo, et al. Parameter identification
fault location in case of a phase-A to earth fault. It also algorithm for fault location based on distributed transmission line model
indicates that method-II is accurate if the fault occurs at the [J]. IEEE Trans. Power Delivery, vol. 15, NO. 4, pp. 1-7, 2008.
terminal end of lines. [11] Song Guobing, Liu Linlin, Suonan Jiale. Study on the frequency band
for interpolation method used in distributed parameter line model [J].
IV. CONCLUSION Proceedings of the CSEE, vol. 30, NO. 10, pp. 72-76, 2010.

In this paper, a fault location algorithm applicable to long

distance transmission lines is proposed. This method has
salient features as follows: