Waveform characteristics assessment by the operation of protective devices

Power system protection coordination plays the main role in the continuity of service in electrical systems. Incorrect settings may allow that repetitive failures occur before triggering an interruption. Consequently, it is necessary to identify the devices that clear a fault to assess its operation. The identification process can be achieved by a signature that each device induces in the voltage and current waveforms. As a proposal, this article presents a new method in the analysis of the transients related to the operation of the protections in the distribution systems for identification of protective devices. This method has the ability to detect transient changes and characterize the quality disturbances of three-phase systems.