Background:

Normally, a power system operates under balanced conditions. When the system becomes unbalanced due to the
failures of insulation at any point or due to the contact of live wires, a short–circuit or fault, is said to occur in the
line. Faults may occur in the power system due to the number of reasons like natural disturbances (lightning, high-
speed winds, earthquakes), insulation breakdown, falling of a tree, bird shorting, etc

Introduction:

 Electrical networks, machines and equipments are often subjected to various types of faults while they
are in operation. When a fault occurs, the characteristic values (such as impedance) of the machines may
change from existing values to different values till the fault is cleared. There may be lot of probabilities of
faults to appear in the power system network, including lighting, wind, tree falling on lines, apparatus
failure, etc.

Types of Faults:

Electrical faults in three-phase power system mainly classified into two types

 Open circuit faults

 Short circuit faults

these faults can be symmetrical or unsymmetrical faults. Let us discuss these faults in detail.

Open Circuit Faults:

 These faults occur due to the failure of one or more conductors. The figure below illustrates the open
circuit faults for single, two and three phases (or conductors) open condition.

 The most common causes of these faults include joint failures of cables and overhead lines, and failure of
one or more phase of circuit breaker and also due to melting of a fuse or conductor in one or more
phases.
Causes:

 Broken conductor and malfunctioning of circuit breaker in one or more phases.

Effects:

 Abnormal operation of the system

 Danger to the personnel as well as animals

 Exceeding the voltages beyond normal values in certain parts of the network, which further leads to
insulation failures and developing of short circuit faults.

Short Circuit Faults:

 A short circuit can be defined as an abnormal connection of very low impedance between two points of
different potential, whether made intentionally or accidentally.

 The various possible short circuit fault conditions include three phase to earth, three phase clear of earth,
phase to phase, single phase to earth, two phase to earth and phase to phase plus single phase to earth as
shown in figure.

Causes :

 These may be due to internal or external effects

 Internal effects include breakdown of transmission lines or equipment, aging of insulation, deterioration
of insulation in generator, transformer and other electrical equipments, improper installations and
inadequate design.

 External effects include overloading of equipments, insulation failure due to lighting surges and
mechanical damage by public.
Effects :

 Arcing faults can lead to fire and explosion in equipments such as transformers and circuit breakers.

 Abnormal currents cause the equipments to get overheated, which further leads to reduction of life span
of their insulation.

 The operating voltages of the system can go below or above their acceptance values that creates harmful
effect to the service rendered by the power system.

 The power flow is severely restricted or even completely blocked as long as the short circuit fault persists.

Short Circuit faults Types :

 Symmetrical fault

 Unsymmetrical fault

Symmetrical faults :

 A symmetric or balanced fault affects each of the three phases equally. In transmission line faults, roughly
5% are symmetric. This is in contrast to an asymmetrical fault, where the three phases are not affected
equally. These faults rarely occur in practice as compared with unsymmetrical faults.

 In such types of faults, all the phases are short-circuited to each other and often to earth. Such fault is
balanced in the sense that the systems remain symmetrical, or we can say the lines displaced by an equal
angle (i.e. 120° in three phase line). It is the most severe type of fault involving largest current, but it
occurs rarely. For this reason balanced short- circuit calculation is performed to determine these large
currents. fault in the three phase system can be classified as;

1.Three-phase-to-ground fault (LLLG)

This is also an asymmetrical fault. This type of fault occurs due to breakdown of insulation between all the phase
as well as to the earth. A rough occurrence of symmetrical faults is in the range of 2 to 5% of the total system
faults. However, if these faults occur, they cause a very severe damage to the equipments even though the system
remains in balanced condition
2.Three-phase short circuit fault (LLL)

This type of fault occurs in three phase system. It is an asymmetrical fault. This type of fault occurs due to
breakdown of insulation between all the three phases. A rough occurrence of symmetrical faults is in the range of
2 to 5% of the total system faults. However, if these faults occur, they cause a very severe damage to the
equipments even though the system remains in balanced condition

Unsymmetrical faults

 Unsymmetrical faults involve only one or two phases. The most common faults that occur in the power
system network are unsymmetrical faults. This kind of fault gives rise to unsymmetrical fault currents
(having different magnitudes with unequal phase displacement). These faults are also called as
unbalanced faults as it causes unbalanced currents in the system. fault in the three phase system can be
classified as;

1. Single line-to-ground fault (LG).

2. Line-to-line fault (LL).

3. Double Line-to-ground fault (LLG).

 1.Single Line-to-Ground Fault

 Generally, a single line-to-ground fault on a transmission line occurs when one conductor drops to the
ground or comes in contact with the neutral conductor. Such types of failures may occur in power system
due to many reasons like high-speed wind, falling off a tree, lightning, etc. a short circuit between one
line and ground, very often caused by physical contact, for example due to lightning or
other storm damage. In transmission line faults, roughly 65% - 70% are asymmetric line-to-ground faults

2.Line-to-Line Fault

 A line to line fault or unsymmetrical fault occurs when two conductors are short circuited. In the figure
shown below shows a three phase system with a line-to-line fault phases b and c. The fault impedance is
assumed to be Zf. The LL fault is placed between lines b and c so that the fault be symmetrical with
respect to the reference phase a which is un-faulted.

 a short circuit between lines, caused by ionization of air, or when lines come into physical contact, for
example due to a broken insulator. In transmission line faults, roughly 5% - 10% are asymmetric line-to-
line faults
3.Double Line-to-ground fault (LLG).

Double line-to-ground fault occurs when two conductors fall on the grounder come in contact with the
neutral conductor. LLG (Line-Line-Ground) is an asymmetrical fault which is less severe than symmetrical
fault. two lines come into contact with the ground(and each other), also commonly due to storm damage.
In transmission line faults, roughly15% - 20% are asymmetric double line-to-ground
 Effect Of Faults On Transmission Line :

 Faults can damage or disrupt power systems in several ways.

 Faults increase the voltages and currents at certain points on the system.

 A large voltage and current may damage the insulation and reduces the life of the equipment.

 Faults can cause the system to become unstable, and the three-phase system equipment operates
improperly.

 Hence, it is necessary that, on the occurrence of the fault, the fault section should be disconnected. So,
the normal operation of the rest of the system is not affected.