An accurate technique for locating faults by distance relays

This paper presents a new protection scheme for improving the performance of the distance protective relays in transmission systems. The determination of fault zone by the proposed scheme is based on data sheared locally with other distance relays at the same station, in addition to a command from the distance relay on the other end of the protected line. Based on analyzing this information the relay decides the correct fault zone. With the proposed scheme, the first zone in the distance relay covers the full length of the protected line while the second zone covers the full length of any line following the protected line irrespective of its length, etc. The scheme is examined against wide range of setting problems of a real part of a HV network with real relay settings. It succeeds in solving distance relay setting problems, e.g. the problem of a long line following a short line or vice versa, low in-feed, open CB at one end and high impedance faults. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.