Application of fault location methods in distribution circuits with SCADA

Fault location in electric distribution systems has been a subject of interest for a long time, due to its relevance for improving service continuity and reducing response time when a power interruption occurs. In many cases, electric companies invest heavily to modernize distribution systems, including substations and networks, either by replacing obsolete electrical equipment or by adding modern equipment. The information that this new technology can provide through communication channels to the Control Center in the company's SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) can be used along with fault localization methods to provide a fault distance estimation which can be useful for maintenance personnel to locate and repair the problem faster. This paper shows a study case prepared using the IEEE 34 node test feeder to reveal how the information available in the electrical equipment, such as voltage and current measurements, can be introduced in an impedance-based algorithm for fault location, improving performance if we consider equipment not only at the substation but along the mainline of the feeder.