On-Field Application of a Travelling Wave Based Fault Location Method for Unearthed Overhead Line Networks

In this paper the on-field application of a single-ended fault location method for no-branched lines in unearthed operated networks is expounded. The method is based on the travelling wave theory, and it exploits the Continuous Wavelet Transformation to determine the dominant frequency of the earth mode component of the fault current. The paper represents the experimental validation of a novel fault location approach previously presented by the authors to the scientific community. In order to verify the accuracy of the method, phase-to-ground short circuits have been triggered on a real overhead line in different positions, since the on-field application of travelling wave-based fault location methods represents the more reliable bench test. In fact, the presence of inhomogeneities in the real transmission line structures significantly influences the travelling wave behaviour and they are quite difficult to represent in a simulation environment. The proposed algorithm proved to be reliable in the estimation of the fault distance.