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A scheme for fault distance and section estimation in microgrid using voltage magnitude measurement at the beginning of the grid and least squares
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Mahmood Hosseini Aliabadi *1   , Golnaz Abasi , Mohammad Daisy |
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Abstract: (18 Views) |
Microgrids are exposed to various types of faults, and the fast identification of fault location is essential for minimizing outages, preventing equipment damage, and improving reliability indices. This paper presents a two-stage scheme for fault section identification and fault distance estimation, relying solely on the voltage magnitude difference at the point of common coupling (PCC) and employing a least-squares approximation for distance estimation. In the first stage, the voltage magnitude difference pre and post fault is calculated and compared with simulated voltage differences across different sections; the section corresponding to the minimum index is identified as the faulty one. In the second stage, within the identified section, faults similar to the actual fault are simulated at 100-meter intervals to build an online databank. The relationship between the fault-induced voltage difference and the fault distance is then fitted with a quadratic polynomial, enabling analytical determination of the fault location. To enhance accuracy, the proposed method employs the π-line model (including line capacitance) and is independent of current data, current direction, and transformer saturation effects. Moreover, it does not require advanced communication systems or data synchronization. Evaluation on a modified IEEE 15-bus test system with distributed generation demonstrates that the proposed approach correctly identifies the faulty section and achieves a high fault location accuracy (99%) across a wide range of fault resistances, fault inception angles, and penetration levels of renewable resources. These features, combined with reliance on a single voltage measurement at the feeder head, make the method simple, cost-effective, and practical for real-world applications. |
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| Keywords: Fault Location, Microgrid, Voltage Magnitude, Least Squares, Point of Common Coupling |
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Type of Study: Research |
Received: 2024/07/6 | Accepted: 2025/12/27 | Published: 2025/12/27
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