An Error Tracking Approach for Transmission Lines Fault Detection and Classification

Reliable detection of transmission line faults ensures a consistent power supply, equipment safeguards, and system efficiency. A simplified method based on tracking the mean absolute error (MAE) is presented for detecting and classifying transmission line faults. The error is calculated between ideal and faulty three-phase voltages. A distinctive advantage of the proposed method lies in its algorithmic framework and computational efficiency. The proposed technique is evaluated by simulating a 132 kV transmission line system with 11 faulty conditions. The error variation along the line is investigated to estimate the effectiveness of this approach in estimating fault locations. The proposed method exhibits superior time complexity compared to earlier reported statistical, frequency domain, and phasor-based techniques. The computation operators can be implemented in real-time for a cost-effective and scalable hardware solution.