Optimization Based Method for Fault Section Estimation on Distribution Systems

Abstract

Faults are inevitable in power systems and their location represents a primary role in power recovery. An alternative for quick and accurate fault location is to monitor the protective devices alarms and status to identify the faulted section. This paper presents a novel approach for fault section estimation in electrical distribution systems based on genetic algorithm. The fault section location is treated as a 0-1 integer programming problem by using a fault hypothesis based on actual and expected status for protective relays, circuit breakers, reclosers and fault indicators. To solve the programming problem, a new objective function is proposed and the genetic algorithm was used. The proposed method is applied to a typical distribution system containing 33 buses. The performance and effectiveness of the proposed method are assessed in challenging scenarios, including spurious data and operation failure of protective devices all over the studied distribution system. The results evince the feasibility of the proposed method to locate faults in distribution systems with a low monitoring level.