Determining Fault Locations on Overhead Power Lines Under Power Quality Deviation Conditions Based on the Least Squares Method

Overhead power lines (OHPLs) are currently widely used to generate power from various types of traditional power plants and transmit power between electric power systems (EPSs). OHPLs are known to be susceptible to climatic, meteorological, man-made, and other factors, which leads to more frequent outages with damage of varying severity. Ensuring reliable operation of the EPS requires rapid and accurate fault location (FL) for emergency restoration operations and the subsequent restoration of the OHPL. This article presents the results of an analysis of various methods for FL of OHPLs under conditions of deviations in power quality indicators (PQI), which leads to additional FL errors in emergency mode parameters (EMP). The objective of the study is to develop a new method for FL on OHPLs with unsynchronized measurements from both ends under conditions of current and voltage deviations from a sinusoidal shape, based on the least-squares method. The developed method for FL on OHPLs is based on differential equations describing the currents and voltages in emergency conditions at both ends, taking into account distributed transverse (capacitive) conductivity. This significantly improves the accuracy of FL on OHPLs with unsynchronized measurements at both ends under conditions of fluctuating power quality parameters. The article presents calculation results for a specific OHPL, demonstrating the improved accuracy of FL based on the EMP. The developed method can be implemented in digital protection and automation devices for OHPLs, as well as in software for power system control centers.