A Novel Fault Location Method for Radial Distribution Systems

This paper presents a new method for locating faults on radial distribution systems utilizing local voltage and current measurements. The method considers feeder shunt capacitances, is applicable to any type of faults, is suitable for unbalanced networks and does not require fault type information. The method is also independent of source impedance. Analytical analysis is utilized to obtain a generic performance equation for any type of faults, which reduces or eliminates iterative steps to reach the fault location. A process to trim down multiple estimates due to laterals is discussed. Evaluation studies based on simulated data have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed solution.