Optimization Based Method for Fault Section Estimation on Distribution Systems

Faults are inevitable in power systems and the accurate fault location is essential for system restoration and prompt response to customers demands. An alternative to identify the fault section in power distribution systems is to monitor the alarms and status of the protective devices. This paper presents a novel approach for fault section estimation in power distribution systems. The fault section location is treated as a 0–1 integer programming problem. The fault hypothesis is based on the actual and expected status of protective relays, circuit breakers, reclosers and fault indicators. Aiming to solve the programming problem, a new objective function is proposed and the genetic algorithm is used. The proposed method is applied to a typical 33 bus distribution system. The performance and effectiveness of the proposed method are assessed in challenging scenarios, including spurious data and operating failures of protective devices. The results show the feasibility of the proposed method for fault section estimation on power distribution systems.