New approach of fault detection and fault phase selection based on initial current traveling waves

This paper presents a new principle of fault analyzing based on initial current traveling waves and a new algorithm of fault detection and fault phase selection based on the wavelet transforms. Through comparing the amplitudes of module maxima of wavelet transform in different scales, the fault can be detected. Through matching the characteristics of different fault types, the fault phase can be identified. This new approach of fault detection and fault phase selection, including the new principle and new algorithm, is specially designed for the ultra-high-speed protective relaying, which is based on the traveling waves. The use of the new approach provides an attractive potential solution to the long-standing problems of accurate and fast fault detection and fault phase selection. Extensive theoretical studies and simulations using EMTP have proved that the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed new approach.