A Simple Single-Ended Post-Fault Location Technique for DC Lines Based on Controlled Re-Energizations

Resumen

Fault location in medium-voltage direct current (MVDC) systems is an essential yet underexplored area compared to high-voltage (HVDC) and low-voltage (LVDC) systems. MVDC systems, characterized by intermediate line lengths and fault resistances, as well as rapid fault clearance requirements, demand specialized solutions. This paper proposes a novel single-ended, offline fault location method based on controlled re-energizations after fault clearance. This approach employs a switched grounding resistor and a bypass connection through the current-limiting inductor to extract fault parameters from the discharge curves of two re-energization cycles. By analyzing the time constants derived from these curves, the method estimates fault location and resistance with high accuracy. The proposed method eliminates the need for additional active injection sources and circuit breaker modifications, ensuring seamless integration into existing MVDC infrastructure. Furthermore, the method avoids inter-terminal communication delays and sampling delays before fault clearance. Validation through electromagnetic transient simulations demonstrates fault location errors below 5% for fault resistances up to 50 Omega. Results show that the method performs better for faults farther from the active terminal, with the higher errors seen for short distances and elevated resistances. The proposed technique offers a robust and practical solution for post-fault location in DC lines.