Research on Dual-End Traveling Wave Ranging Based on Wave Energy Calculator

To address the low positioning accuracy of traditional traveling wave methods in distribution networks due to their limited wavefront characteristics, this study expands the perspective from wavefronts to the entire traveling wave. It proposes a traveling wave ranging method based on the cumulative energy characteristics of the entire wave. First, the current line mode components are decomposed using Variational Modal Adaptive Decomposition (VMD), yielding the Intrinsic Mode Function (IMF) that best represents the overall characteristics of the fault current traveling wave signal. Subsequently, the Wave Energy Calculator (WEC) method is applied to this IMF to obtain the time difference between the wave’s arrival at both measurement ends. This time difference is then substituted into the traveling wave two-point ranging formula to derive the ranging result. This method fully utilizes the overall energy information of traveling waves, effectively overcoming positioning errors caused by relying solely on wavefront characteristics. MATLAB R2021b/Simulink simulation results validate the correctness of this method, demonstrating high ranging accuracy and good robustness and applicability under different operating conditions.