Transmission line fault detection and localisation methodology using PMU measurements

Rapid advancements pertaining to measurements and computational technology have brought a paradigm shift for operational architecture of power grids across the globe. Self-healing, a vital operational feature of emerging power grids, necessitates real-time identification and localisation of transmission line faults for the entire power network. This study proposes a novel support vector machine-based fault localisation methodology to precisely identify and localise all types of transmission line faults occurring at any location in the power grid based on phasor measurement unit (PMU) measurements. Detection of fault is achieved through PMU measurements only from a single generator bus for the entire grid. Bus associated with fault, faulty branch and location of fault in faulty branch are calculated using fast Fourier transform analysis of variations pertaining to equivalent voltage phasor angle (EVPA) and equivalent current phasor angle (ECPA). The proposed methodology has been validated through extensive case studies for Western System Coordinating Council (WSCC)-9 and IEEE-14 bus systems. The main contribution of the proposed methodology is that the fault location information can significantly contribute to system protection center for restoration of the line within shortest time span and initiate appropriate wide area control actions to maintain stability.