A fault locator for radial subtransmission and distribution lines

This paper presents the design and development of a prototype fault locator that estimates the location of shunt faults on radial subtransmission and distribution lines. The fault location technique is based on the fundamental frequency component of voltages and currents measured at the line terminal. Extensive sensitivity studies of the fault location technique have been done-some of the results are included in the paper. Hardware and software of the fault locator are described. The fault locator was tested in the laboratory using simulated fault data and a real-time playback simulator. Some results from the tests are presented. Results indicate that the fault location technique has acceptable accuracy, is robust and can be implemented with the available technology.