Cable Fault Location in Distribution Network Based on Decomposition of Time Reversal Operator

The accurate location of cable line faults is crucial in the troubleshooting of distribution networks. This paper introduces a cable fault location method based on the Decomposition of Time Reversal Operator (DORT) to address the challenges associated with cable fault identification in distribution networks. The proposed method utilizes the scattering matrix of the network and its eigenvectors to formulate a time reversal operator, effectively eliminating the impact of network topology and terminal reflections. Time-reversal (TR) waveforms are injected from each port of the network, and the time-domain response and spatial energy spectrum of each network segment are combined to pinpoint the fault location. Furthermore, this method is extended to multi-fault localization through the decomposition of differential scattering matrix, allowing for the identification of multiple faults using a single measurement of the fault scattering matrix. This extension significantly enhances the efficiency of fault location. Additionally, the effects of blind spots and Gaussian pulses on fault localization are analyzed. The results demonstrate the method's effectiveness in overcoming the influence of network topology and accurately locating various faults. Even in scenarios involving multiple faults, the proposed method can accurately locate all faults, which offer a promising solution for cable fault location in distribution networks.