Study of accuracy of overhead transmission line fault location based on data of phasor measurement units of different configuration and manufacturers

Abstract

The technology of synchronized phasor measurements has been widely used in the Russian power system to analyze the parameters of steady-state electrical power modes and to record electro-mechanical transient processes. Issues on fault location based on synchronized phasor measurements have mainly been discussed in foreign publications. A significant drawback of most research papers on this issue is simplified modeling of both overhead lines and current and voltage measurement channel as well as digital filters of phasor measurement units (PMUs). The goal of this research is to develop a fault location algorithm based on synchrophasor measurements and to study its accuracy by using specialized equipment including a real-time digital simulator (RTDS), PONOVO current and voltage amplifiers and production-grade PMUs. A PMU-based double-ended fault location algorithm is developed using long-line equations and well-known electromagnetic transient theory concepts. Currents and voltage oscillograms of both overhead transmission line ends are modelled in the MATLAB/Simulink software package. These oscillograms are saved as COMTRADE files and played back using the RTDS hardware and all-in-one software package RSCAD. In addition, the study uses two production-grade PMUs, the first one is TPA-02, and the second one is a merging unit ENMU acting as a PMU, thus imitating PMUs at the line terminals. To time-align all the measurements and to aggregate PMU data frames, various auxiliary software such as PMU Connection Tester, and hardware is used. A double-ended fault location (FL) method utilizing synchrophasors under a fault has been developed. The method is based on an overdetermined system of nonlinear equations that describes physical processes in an overhead power line and can be applied under various fault types. An integrated study of the efficiency of the developed FL method has been conducted. FL errors have been computed using production-grade PMUs ENMU and TPA-02, along with the RTDS and other equipment. The authors have considered the case of configuring PMUs of different classes at the overhead line terminals, and different phasor reporting rates as well. The conducted experiments make it possible to reveal that the fault location errors do not exceed the thresholds imposed by the standard STO 56947007-29.120.70.241-2017 in 88 % of all the analyzed fault scenarios. The developed FL method makes it possible to achieve the accuracy required by regulatory guide in calculating the distance to the short circuit point in most of the cases examined. Based on the results of numerical experiments for various types of fault cases, it can be concluded that the PMU class and phasor reporting rate do not have a significant impact on the FL accuracy, provided that the fault duration is enough for the PMU filter to approach a steady output.