Ultra High-Speed Hardware Emulator for Real-Time Fault Location in Multi-Conductor Power Systems

This research presents a transmission line model aimed for the fault location in power systems using a method based on the Electromagnetic Time-Reversal (EMTR). The discrete-time model simulates the waves travelling in the line by means of many unit delays implemented with digital N
_b
bits shift registers. The flexibility and robustness of this fully digital realization are discussed and compared to previous analog implementations and evaluated in the frame of the fault location. The impact of the signal quantization on the fault location accuracy is therefore discussed. An extension of the line model for the simulation of more complex network topologies, such as interconnected or multi-conductor networks is also presented. It is then shown that a fault on a three-conductor line can be located within few tens of milliseconds with a resolution of 1%, considering the model implemented in a TSMC 0.18μm process. Through this is speed improvement, about a hundred times faster than classical digital solvers, this promising approach makes real-time implementation realistic.