Wavelets and electromagnetic power system transients

The wavelet transform is introduced as a method for analyzing electromagnetic transients associated with power system faults and switching. This method, like the Fourier transform, provides information related to the frequency composition of a waveform, but it is more appropriate than the familiar Fourier methods for the nonperiodic, wide-band signals associated with electromagnetic transients. It appears that the frequency domain data produced by the wavelet transform may be useful for analyzing the sources of transients through manual or automated feature detection schemes. The basic principles of wavelet analysis are set forth, and examples showing the application of the wavelet transform to actual power system transients are presented.