Initial Experiences with a New FPGA Based Traveling Wave Fault Recorder Installed on a MV Distribution Network

This paper presents the initial results obtained from a newly developed FPGA based traveling wave fault recorder installed on a medium voltage (MV) distribution line. The recorder is capable of recording six input signals, simultaneously sampling at 40 mega samples per second (MSPS) and at 14 bit resolution. It uses high bandwidth 17 MHz Rogowski coils connected to the secondary of a current transformer inside the substation to acquire the high frequency traveling wave components. Initial results during the testing phase show that recorder is capable of recording high fidelity signals relating to switching events. It has also highlighted that the distribution line is subject to many other transient phenomena in addition to faults and switching events which must be taken into consideration when choosing a suitable triggering mechanism.