Performance of the Traveling Wave Fault Location Method in Electric Power Transmission Lines

This article explores fault location methods in transmission lines, with a particular focus on those based on traveling wave theory. Traveling waves, which are generated by disturbances at the fault point, provide critical information for accurately determining fault locations. A MATLAB-based model is proposed to identify the arrival times of the initial wavefronts at both ends of the transmission line. These arrival times are crucial for calculating the location of the fault, leveraging the high-speed propagation characteristics of traveling waves. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated through three distinct scenarios. First, fault events are simulated in ATP, enabling the validation of the model under controlled conditions. Second, the model is applied to a real fault event on a 230 kV transmission line, by using COMTRADE records sampled at 8 kHz, obtained from the line's protection relays. This scenario highlights the model's applicability to practical fault events captured by industry-standard devices. Finally, the third scenario examines the same real fault event but it leverages data recorded at 5 MHz by a digital fault recorder at the substation. This comparison allows for the assessment of the model's performance across different sampling rates and data sources. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the model in identifying fault locations with high precision and emphasize its potential for enhancing fault analysis in modern power systems.