Fast selective earth fault localization using the new fast pulse detection method

Secure and reliable earth fault localization is a challenge for today´s protection engineers. New standards, regulations and grid expansion lead to increased demands on grid operation management especially for fault localization. As a result new methods and techniques for fast earth fault localization and detection are required. The earth fault localization should be performed as quick as possible and under the condition, that the fault current at the fault location will not be significantly increased, to avoid additional damages and hazards for human life and health. One of the most used methods for earth fault localization is the traditional pulse detection method. This detection method is widespread because the implementation is simple and only a current measurement is needed. With the installation of more than one relay along a line a simple indepth localization of the earth fault is possible. In this paper a new and fast fault localization method based on a thyristor-controlled high-power-current-injection (HPCI) will be presented. Compared with traditional pulse detection, this method has a lot of advantages, which will be described in this paper.