A Noninvasive Technique for Fault Detection and Location

Most methods of fault detection and location rely on measurements of electrical quantities provided by current and voltage transformers. These transformers require physical contact with the monitored high-voltage equipment. Moreover, during fault transients, the secondary current is not a true replica of the primary current. This paper explores the possibility of replacing current transformers with magnetic field sensing coils. These coils are located at the sending and receiving ends of the power lines, in the proximity of the conductors. Rather than monitoring the current in each individual phase conductor, magnetic field sensors allow transmission line monitoring by means of a single collective measurement. This study explores the use of the magnetic field sensors as alternative measurement devices for fault detection and location.