Accuracy Wave Fault Location Method Based on FPGA in a 110kV Distribution Network

The reliability and stability of electrical distribution networks are essential in modern power systems. In high-voltage electrical distribution networks such as 110kV, faults occurring on transmission towers can result in significant disruptions, leading to economic losses and safety hazards. So, accurate fault location is crucial for minimizing downtime and enabling rapid restoration for the power systems. This paper reviews the current wave fault location method and introduces a new method to increase accuracy in identifying faults that can be caused by ungrounding, small resistance grounding, and arc suppression coil grounding. The method makes use of a time system through a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), which has high precision and fast execution time. The time system based has a time accuracy of 10 nanoseconds. Moreover, it can maintain operational integrity for at least 17 seconds when the Global Positioning System (GPS) loses signal from satellites. The wave fault location method is also implemented through FPGA, and the results are analyzed and visualized using MATLAB, demonstrating the accuracy of the fault location in the distribution lines.