A Finite-state Machine Based Approach for Fault Detection and Classification in Transmission Lines

Abstract

In this article, a novel protective relaying scheme based on a finite-state machine is proposed to detect fault in transmission lines, classify the fault, and identify the faulty phase. The three-phase fundamental component of current and the zero-sequence current signals measured at one end of the double-circuit line are used as inputs. The finite-state machine based relaying scheme relies on time-series analysis of current signals only and is built upon the concepts from the finite-state automata theory. The finite-state machine works by transition of one state to another by following certain conditions. The proposed relay is tested during different shunt faults—inter-circuit and cross-country faults—with wide variations in fault parameters. The proposed method is adaptive to variation in fault type, fault resistance, fault inception angle, fault location, power flow angle, different line length, transient faults, current transformer (CT) saturation, and no-fault events. The relay performed correctly for 99.9% of test cases, proving the effectiveness of the proposed method. Furthermore, the proposed method can provide faster, more reliable protection against all shunt faults, inter-circuit and cross-country faults, with wide variations in parameters, and the protection range is effectively extended and greatly improved, which contributes to system safety and stability.

Keywords:

• transmission-line protection
• finite-state machine
• fault detection
• fault classification
• response time

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anamika Yadav

Anamika Yadav received her B.E. in electrical engineering from Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV), Bhopal, India, in 2002. She acquired her M.Tech. in integrated power systems from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Nagpur, India, in 2006 and her Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekananda Technical University (CSVTU), Bhilai, with the research center at National Institute of Technology (NIT), Raipur, C.G., India in 2010. She worked as an assistant engineer in the CSEB, Raipur, C.G., India, for almost 5 years. She joined National Institute of Technology, Raipur, C.G., India, in March 2009 as an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering. She has been a member of IET, IE(I) since 2009 and a senior member of IEEE since 2014. She received the Venus International Foundation Faculty Awards (VIFFA) 2015 Young Faculty Award. Her research interest includes application of soft computing techniques to power system protection.

Aleena Swetapadma

Aleena Swetapadma graduated from the College of Engineering and Technology (CET), Bhubaneswar (BBSR), India (2007–2011) and received her M.Tech. at the NIT, Raipur, India (2011–2013). She is currently pursuing her Ph.D at NIT, Raipur, India. She received the Power System Operation Corporation Limited, India (POSOCO) power system award for her M.Tech project from Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) in partnership with Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India. Her fields of interest include artificial intelligence techniques, soft computing, and data mining application in power system protection.