Fault Location Techniques for Distribution Systems

Faulted lines must be repaired and returned to service in the shortest possible time to provide reliable service to the customers. Fault locators provide estimate for both sustained and transient faults. Transient faults cause minor damage that is not easily visible on inspection. Fault locators help identify those locations for early repairs to prevent recurrence and consequent major damages. This paper reviews some of the fault location techniques for distribution systems, experienced in different types of networks. There can be two approaches for solution: local/device solution and system solution. The former uses measurements available in one location. The later uses network modeling and topology as well as data available from local level (one or more) and results in the most plausible fault location(s).