Identification of Fuse and Recloser Operations in a Radial Distribution System

Recloser and fuses are the main overcurrent protective devices on distribution systems. Poor coordination adversely impacts the overall power quality especially from the momentary voltage interruption and voltage sag perspectives. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a novel approach to detect and identify which protective devices operate to clear a short-circuit condition using power-quality waveform measurement data. The proposed approach is intended to evaluate performance coordination of overcurrent protective devices and help locate faults on the feeder. The effectiveness of the techniques is demonstrated using simulation and real-world data. Results indicate a promising potential for real-world deployment and applications.