Disturbance recorders applied to distribution feeders

Until recently, the application of fault recorders in the distribution industry has been considered an impractical proposition due to the relatively high cost of the equipment and the limited value of the recorded data obtained at these voltages. However, the appearance of new, lower cost recorders and the use of novel installation schemes can result in the cost effective monitoring of multiple feeders with one recorder. The resulting recorded data can be used for determining fault levels and durations, checking protection performance and determining the condition and performance of the switchgear. Thus the investment can be more easily justified