Software Tools for Record Fault Analysis in Power Systems

We have available, in today’s application of microprocessor based relays and digital fault recorders, record analysis software. This software shows graphical and numerical information along with powerful tools that are easy to use. These are applied by relay protection engineers, to analyze the records and provide a more efficient analysis for simple and complex cases. These tools also provide a mechanism for prompt response to high demand industrial or domestic consumers. This paper focuses on the software tools used to analyze real fault analysis showing waveforms, phasors, symmetrical components, I/O events, harmonic spectrum and R-X impedance plots. This also shows trends of multiple disturbances dependent on the fault or disturbance that is under study. Presented in this paper are several transient and dynamic record faults acquired from real triggered faults, and normally saved in the IEEE C37.111 COMTRADE format from different protective devices and customers at different locations. Playback of some of these fault records using a test set into multifunction relays is analyzed for better real analysis, discovering the cause of the fault effect and to provide suggestions on each independent case.