TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY (MEIKTILA)

ELECTRICAL POWER ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT

Transmission lines Short Circuit Location

Detector with Arduino

First Seminar

Supervised by
Group - 1
Daw Thin Wuttyi
 Outlines of presentation
Introduction
Symmetrical components
Methods of finding fault location
Fault location calculation with impedance-based method
Working principle of this project
Calculation process in Arduino
Software used
Testing and result
Conclusion
 Introduction
 A fault is defined as a flow of large current though unusual path which can interrupt the
stability and reliability of power network and the equipment.

 It is important to study a power system under fault conditions in order to provide system
protection and maintenance.

 A power system condition can be analyzed by calculating the system operating voltages
and currents under normal and abnormal states.

 The main idea of this project with Arduino is inspired by the impedance-based methods
that estimate the fault location based on the measured impedance during fault incidence.
In order to understand how to calculate the fault distance on a transmission line, the
use of symmetrical components in power system must be defined first.

Ib2
Ib1

Ic1 Ic2

In mathematical form; I a = I0a + I1a + I2a = I0a + I1a + I2a

I b = I0b + I1b + I2b = I0a + 1∠120° I1a + 1∠240° I2a
I c = I0c + I1c + I2c = I0a + 1∠240° I1a + 1∠120° I2a
Some of the commonly used techniques to find fault location are
 Artificial intelligence method: like fault indicators that are installed on the power lines to detect and locate
the fault.

 Travelling wave method: If we know the speed of the traveling wave and the length of the line being
monitored, then we can find out the distance to fault.

 Impedance based method: checks the phasor voltage and current on lines from both terminals or single

terminal. Then, we can calculate the distance to the fault. Brief formula derive and calculation is shown in

next slide.
Consider a single line to ground fault is occurred in the below figure,

VR = mZ1IR1 + mZ2IR2 + mZ0IR0 + VF1 + VF2 + VF0

VR = mZ1 (IRa + kIR0) + IFRF

Where m = location of fault from relay

𝑍0 −𝑍1
Constant, k =
𝑍1

IR = IRa + kIR0

VR = mZ1IR + IFRF

𝑉𝑅
𝐼𝑚 ൗ𝐼
𝑅
m=
𝑋1
Step by step calculation process is created by a system model using ETAP software where faults will be simulated.
The fault information from the simulation will be used in the fault location calculation. From this network, a
single line-to-ground fault at Bus2 will be simulated

Transmission Line Impedance Parameters: 66 kV

Bus 1
Transmission line length = 50 km
R

R1 = 3.72723 ohms CB

X1 = 20.6122 ohms
Transmission line
R0 = 13.5151 ohms 3.72723 +j20.6122

X0 = 62.0961 ohms

The measured voltage VR from relay = 37.93∠ − 0.04 kV

The measured current IRa from relay = 1.079∠ − 78.57 kA Bus 2

To find IR , IRa = IR1 + IR2 + IR0 = 3IR0
𝑍0 −𝑍1 𝐼𝑅𝑎
IR = IRa + kIR0 = IRa +
𝑍1 3

13.5151+𝑗62.0962 −(3.72723−𝑗20.6122) 1079∠−78.57

= 1079∠ − 78.57 +
3.72723+𝑗20.6122 3

= 1810.26∠ − 79.79 A
𝑉𝑅
𝐼𝑚 ൗ𝐼
𝑅
The location of faulted point from relay, m =
𝑋1
37930∠−0.04
𝐼𝑚(1810.26∠−79.79)
m=
20.6122

m = 1.0003
By multiplying ‘m‘ by the transmission line length of 50 km, we can get the
estimated fault location of 50.02 km.
Working Principle
The project uses four sets of resistors in series representing cables R, Y, B and G.

Each series resistor represents the resistance of the cable for a specific distance(1 kilo ohm for 1 km
distance).

When a 5v DC is applied through series resistors(cables), the voltage across each resistor would vary
depending upon the location of the fault.

Twelve switches are placed between the R, Y, B cables and ground cable to demonstrate the ground
fault.

If any of 12 switches is closed that means there is a fault between a phase and ground, then Arduino
digital pins will check which phase is in faulted saturation and Arduino ADC analog pin reads the
voltage drop from ground cable and execute as written in the program and show the location on
LCD.
Block diagram

LCD display
Regulator Relays
Relay driver

Rectifier

Arduino
Step-down UNO Resistors
transformer

Switches
AC supply
As mention before, idea of this project with Arduino is inspired by the impedance-based methods. Arduino
needs percent of vtg drop and resistance of cable to express the short point and it also requires calculation
program. The calculation process is shown below.

 Calculation of short circuit voltage at 4km which is between R phase and ground;
1kΩ 1kΩ 1kΩ 1kΩ
LG
R
Fault

1kΩ
Vf
5V dc
Supply voltage, Vs = 5 V 1kΩ 1kΩ 1kΩ 1kΩ
G
Vf = ?
By voltage division rule or Kirchhoff’s voltage law,
8×103
Vf = 5 x
9×103
= 4.44 V
4.44
By converting the analog voltage 4.44V to digital value = × 1023
5
= 908.42
Due to some tolerance, set maximum and minimum limit of voltage at 4km; 890≥ 𝑉𝑓 ≤ 920
Calculation of short circuit voltage at 3km;
1kΩ 1kΩ 1kΩ

1kΩ
Vf

5V dc
1kΩ 1kΩ 1kΩ

Supply voltage, Vs = 5 V
Vf = ?
By voltage division rule or Kirchhoff’s voltage law,
6×103
Vf =5x
7×103
= 4.28V
4.28
By converting the analog voltage 4.44V to digital value = × 1023
5
=875.68
Due to some tolerance, set maximum and minimum limit of voltage at 3km; 850≥ 𝑉𝑓 ≤ 890
Calculation of short circuit voltage at 2km;
1kΩ 1kΩ

1kΩ
Vf
5V dc
1kΩ 1kΩ
Supply voltage, Vs = 5 V
Vf = ?
By voltage division rule or Kirchhoff’s voltage law,
4×103
Vf = 5 x
5×103
= 4V
4
By converting the analog voltage 4.44V to digital value = × 1023
5
=818.4
Due to some tolerance, set maximum and minimum limit of voltage at 2km; 750≥ 𝑉𝑓 ≤ 850
Calculation of short circuit voltage at 1km;

1kΩ
Vf
5V dc

Supply voltage, Vs = 5 V
Vf = ?
By voltage division rule or Kirchhoff’s voltage law,
2×103
Vf = 5 x
3×103
= 3.33 V
3.33
By converting the analog voltage 4.44V to digital value = × 1023
5
= 681.31
Due to some tolerance, set maximum and minimum limit of voltage at 1km; 600≥ 𝑉𝑓 ≤ 750
 Software used
Proteus
 Proteus 8 is best simulation software for various designs with microcontroller.
After simulating the circuit in Proteus 8 Software, it is easy to directly make design with
it so it could be an all in one package for students and hobbyists.
Arduino
It is designed to introduce programming to artists and other newcomers unfamiliar with
Arduino.
Arduino programs are written in C/C++, it needs to define two functions in order to
make a run able program: setup () – a function run once at the start of a program which
can be used for initializing settings and loop () – a function called repeatedly until the
board is powered off.
Testing and Result
In this method, the short circuit fault at a particular distance in the cable can be located
using simple concepts of OHM’s law and Circuit can be tested with different resistors to
simulate various fault conditions. It will display exact location of short circuit.

Simulation of resistors and switches

Case1: when there is no fault in the transmission lines, the following simulated results could
be occurred. i.e. the fault which occurred in the three lines (R,Y,B) is zero.

No fault simulation result

Case 2: when there is a LG-fault among one of the three lines, we can get the following the
simulated result. i.e. a fault is happened for the red line in 1km but not in any two lines (Y, B).

LG fault result at 1km

Case 3: if there is a LLG-faults in the lines, the LCD displays the result below. i.e. LLG faults
are occurred in the red line and yellow line (Y, B) in 1km and 1km respectively.

LLG fault result at 1km

Case 4: when LLLG-faults exists, the simulated result as shown below indicates that a fault is
happen for the red line in 2km, for the yellow line in 4km and for the blue line in 6km.

LLLG fault result at 2km

Conclusion
 The project helps us to gain a better perspective on various aspects related to
our course of study as well as practical knowledge of cable fault detection
system.

 This paper explains the importance of locating faults in the network and
reviews some of the cable fault locating methods that are mostly used in
practical field.

 In this paper, the exact location of short circuit fault at a particular distance in
the cable from feeder end in km can be located by using Arduino
microcontroller.
Thank

You