New multi-ended fault location design for two- or three-terminal lines

This paper presents a new fault location system for multiterminal power transmission lines. The algorithm used by this system is suitable for inclusion in a numerical protection relay, which communicates with remote relay(s) over a protective relaying channel. The data volume communicated between relays is sufficiently small to be easily transmitted using a digital protection channel. The new algorithm does not require data alignment, pre-fault load flow information, phase selection information, and does not perform iterations to calculate the distance to the fault. Pre-fault load flow, zero-sequence mutual coupling, fault resistance, power system nonhomogeneity, and current infeeds from other line terminals or tapped loads do not affect the fault location accuracy.