Energy variance criterion and threshold tuning scheme for high impedance fault detection

This paper presents a new approach to the detection of high impedance fault (HIF). The proposed approach (or detector which implements this approach) has four distinct features. First, the detector input signal is the three-phase unbalanced current (or feeder 3I(0)), rather than the conventional three individual phase-currents. Secondly, the detector is designed by monitoring the energy variance for the second, fourth and sixth harmonics of 3I(0) individually, and by requiring the increment of randomness of all these harmonics to indicate an HIF. Thirdly, a self-tuning scheme based on the statistical confidence is applied to the automatic setting of threshold level for the energy variances monitored. Fourthly, effective counters are designed to detect both persistent and intermittent arcings. The detector has been tested on 51 staged faults and 8 unfaulted feeders. The test results show that the detector can have 100% fault detection rate so long as the arcing current at fault location is not less than 5A. As to the dependability tests, no false alarm (or tripping) has happened for all of the unfaulted feeders under test. These feeders either supply special (including are furnace) load, or have leakage current (referring to the intermittent zero-sequence load due to the feeder location along coast), or are under the normal capacitor or load switchings. The test results and the investigation for the high sensitivity and dependability and for the limitation of proposed fault detection method are presented.