Improvement of fault location method based on sparse PMU measurements

This paper is concerned about fault location in power systems using a sparse set of PMU measurements and proposes an improvement to a previously presented solution [1]. This fault location method, associated with sparse optimization and wide-area synchronized phasor measurements, provides an accurate fault location tool independent of fault type or fault resistance. However, this method assumes the availability of post-fault steady state voltages, which are typically not readily measured by the PMUs due to the fast operation of protective relays. A voltage estimation method based on Prony analysis is presented in order to solve this impediment. It is shown that with a small set of recorded voltage samples during fault transients, it is possible to estimate the post fault steady state voltage using a digital filter based on Prony analysis. Effectiveness of the filter is verified by simulations and the results are presented for typical cases.