Distributed Fault Precise Localization System Solution for Transmission Lines

One-sentence conclusion

This solution deploys dual-mode distributed fault location terminals—both contact-based and non-contact-based—for transmission lines above 35 kV, with intervals ranging from 5 to 30 km. It achieves a fault location accuracy of ≤ ±100 m, a segment-level positioning reliability of ≥ 99%, and an identification accuracy for lightning-induced versus non-lightning-induced faults exceeding 95%. As a result, fault patrol time is reduced from hours to minutes.

I. Industry Pain Points

1. Transmission lines are long and span numerous sections; after a fault occurs, manual line inspections can take anywhere from several hours to several days, wasting valuable repair windows.
2. Lightning strikes, external damage, and wildfires can trigger transient faults; traditional steady-state detection methods are unable to capture traveling-wave transient signals.
3. The causes of lightning strikes, non-lightning strikes, bypass strikes, and back strikes are intertwined, making it difficult to match the appropriate mitigation strategies precisely.

II. Solution Architecture

Distributed fault location terminal (installed on poles/towers and conductors) + master station system (fault analysis and location software + application/data server) + mobile handheld terminal. It supports both contact-based (traveling-wave current measurement) and non-contact (electric field voltage measurement) modes, allowing for mixed deployment within the same network and flexible blind-spot coverage.

•  Contact-type: Traveling-wave sensor bandwidth 1 kHz to 2 MHz, single-wire fault current range 10 A to 5000 A, traveling-wave recording duration 500 μs;
•  Non-contact: Traveling-wave voltage frequency response: 30 Hz to 1 MHz; sampling rate > 1 MHz; continuous recording duration > 1000 μs; voltage linearity: 10 V to 10,000 V (±10% ± 10 V, reference electric field: 10,000 V/m).
•  The terminals are all installed in a non-series bypass configuration, and single-point failures do not affect the operation of the primary equipment or the main circuit.

III. Core Technical Indicators

IV. Deployment Recommendations

1. Deployment: The spacing between adjacent monitoring points should be 5–30 km. Monitoring points must be installed at transmission-line towers on the power supply side, and the density of monitoring points should be increased along the middle sections of long transmission lines.
2. Form selection: In areas with frequent lightning strikes, prioritize contact-based sensors (with current ranges covering lightning currents); in sections with restricted access, supplement with non-contact sensors to fill coverage gaps.
3. Communication Security: Communication with the master station supports VPN/encryption and is configured in accordance with power secondary security requirements.
4. Acceptance: The positioning error shall be verified by actual line testing (non-contact traveling-wave voltage measurement segment error ±10%).).

V. Application Value