1

Efficient Allocation of Fault Indicators in Distribution Circuits Using Fuzzy Logic

D. M. B. S. de Souza, I. N. da Silva, Member, IEEE, V. Ziolkowski, and R. A. Flauzino

Abstract-- This paper evaluates the behavior related to the main variables that influence in the quantification of potential points for installation of fault indicators along electric power distribution feeders. Moreover, based on these behavioral characteristics, fuzzy inference systems are also used to estimate the best positions to allocate fault indicators, which take into account the distance in that a particular bus is in relation to more adjacent protection devices, load profile and short-circuit current levels of the downstream system to the respective points. Results with real data highlight the efficiency of the proposed methodology. Index Terms-- Artificial intelligence, fault indicator, fuzzy inference system, power system protection.

presented in the correlated literature treat the fault indicators as guide elements to automate the restoration processes of faulting sections [6-11]. However, if the fault indicators were positioned at improper places, the global efficiency of this automation process can then be substantially affected [3]. Based on such context, it is presented in this paper an approach using fuzzy inference systems that quantifies the potential points (places) of the distribution system that are the most appropriate for installation of fault indicator devices. Results of experimental analyses using real data will be also presented for validation purposes of the developed method. II. MAIN PARAMETERS FOR OPTIMAL ALLOCATION OF FAULT INDICATOR DEVICES From technical analyses accomplished on the main parameters involved with the proper operation of fault indicator devices, it was possible to extract the pertinent information for the quantification of potential points for their installations along primary feeders of electric power distribution systems. Taking into account real information provided by the distribution company for such purpose, one of the main parameter is the distance that a particular bus is in relation to the more adjacent protection devices. This information is essential when the objective is to infer the possible installation points, taking also into account the optimization of power quality indices that reflect the restoration time after fault occurrence. However, besides this distance parameter, the fuzzy inference system responsible by estimating the potential points for installation of fault indicators should also be sensitive to the load, customer profile and short-circuit current levels of the downstream system to the respective points. These four parameters have been detailed in the following subsections. A. Identification of the Main Feeder In order to demonstrate the algorithm responsible by determining the main feeder from power distribution substation (SE), the following example illustrated in Fig. 1 has been considered. The obtaining of the main feeder is not accomplished in a direct way, requesting the calculation of the distance, in relation to the substation, in that each bus is inserted. This operation is necessary by virtue of using the criterion of the most distant bus to define the main feeder. From this

I. INTRODUCTION

HE application of fault indicator devices in primary feeders has allowed to the distribution companies to improve the reliability and the quality of the power supplying to the consumers, since they identify and signalize occurrences of short-circuit situations, which are derived from transient or permanent faults [1]. Besides, such devices contribute to reduce the power system reestablishment time, aiding the maintenance teams and facilitating the isolation procedures in relation to the faulting section [2,3]. Thus, it is very important that the responsible elements in detecting the fault are sensitized, immediately after its occurrences, in order to financial and human damages are avoided [4]. Studies have shown that the presence of fault indicators allocated in proper positions of the power distribution system can reduce in up to 60% the interruption time, since the maintenance team gets quickly to locate the faulting section, contributing then to decreasing the indices that count the time and the frequency in that the consumers are without power [5]. However, one of the main difficulties found for extensive use of such devices is exactly in the absence of efficient methodologies that outpoint where are the potential places of the distribution system that would be more appropriate for installation of fault indicator devices. In fact, the main works

D. M. B. S. de Souza and V. Ziolkowski are with the ELEKTRO Electricity Company, Rua Ary Antenor de Souza, 321, CEP 13053.024, Campinas, SP, Brazil (e-mail: valmir.ziolkowski@elektro.com.br). I. N. da Silva and R. A. Flauzino are with the University of So Paulo, Department of Electrical Engineering, USP/EESC/SEL, CP 359, CEP 13566.590, So Carlos, SP, Brazil (e-mail: insilva@sel.eesc.usp.br).

978-1-4244-4241-6/09/$25.00 2009 IEEE

principle, the group of primary branches that leads, in relation to the substation, to the most distant bus it is then considered the main feeder. Thus, considering the distribution system showed in Fig. 1, the following set of linear equations can be written: x1 = 0

ensured that the matrix A is square when the power system is entirely radial, such as the one of distribution. From this verification, the solution of (2) can be obtained by the following expression:
x = A 1 b

(6)

x4 x3 = 3.7 x5 x2 = 3.1 x6 x3 = 2.1 x7 x6 = 4.4

(1)

1 1 1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Consequently, the vector of distances is obtained by:

3.1

5 2 3
5.6 3.7

x = (0 1.2 6.8 10.5 4.3 8.9 13.3) T

4

1 SE
1.2

6
4.4

From (8), it is verified that the bus that is more distant of the substation is that of number 7, being positioned at 13.3 length units in relation to the substation, which is represented by the bus of number 1. By observing the matrix A1, it is verified that the row corresponding to the most distant bus is constituted by:

2.1

Fig. 1. Illustration of power distribution system for determination of main feeder.

Expressing (1) in matrix terms, we have:

Ax = b

Therefore, the groups of primary branches that compose the main feeder are those defined by the buses 1-2, 2-3, 3-6, and 6-7. Fig. 2 illustrates the main feeder of this power distribution system.

(2)
3.1

where:
1 1 1 1

1 1

A=

1 1 1 1 1 1 1

(3)

SE

1.2

2.1

b = ( 0 1.2 5.6 3.7 3.1 2.1 4.4 ) x = ( x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 x6 x7 )

T

(4) (5)

Fig. 2. Main feeder of the power distribution system used as example.

where xi represents the distance, in relation to the substation, of the i-th bus of the electric power system. Supposing a typical radial distribution system, it is possible to affirm that redundancy of paths to one same bus is inexistent. Thus, given a system with n bus, there will be then (n1) equations of primary branches in order to determine the distance of the buses in relation to the substation. Additionally, taking also into account the null reference for the bus representing the substation, a total of n equations is obtained. In this way, it is

In terms of practical application, the use of numeric techniques related to treatment of sparse matrices should be also considered in order to determine the main feeder. B. Load Behavior and Consumer Profiles As the objective of this paper is to present as the potential for installation of fault indicator devices behaves along main feeders, two real power distribution systems (PDS-1 and PDS2) were chosen and analyzed here according to the criteria

1 A7,1

= (1 1 1 0 0 1 1)

5 2
5.6

3
3.7

6
4.4

x2 x1 = 1.2 x3 x2 = 5.6

For this example, the matrix A can be expressed by:

1 1 1 A 1 = 1 1 1 1

(7)

(8)

(9)

exposed. Fig. 3 presents the PDS-1 with its main feeder highlighted from the application of the algorithm exposed in the previous subsection.

second real power distribution system (PDS-2). The downstream load behavior at each one of the buses that compose its main feeder, as well as its number of downstream customers, is illustrated in Fig. 7.

SE
1,0

Minimum short-circuit current

0,8

0,6

0,4

0,2

0,0 0,0 5,0 10,0 15,0 20,0

Distance (km)

Fig. 3. Geographical configuration of the power distribution system PDS-1.

Fig. 5. Behavior of the minimum short-circuit current along the main feeder of the PDS-1.

By using available data for the PDS-1, it is possible to calculate the downstream load behavior at each one of the buses that constitute its main feeder, which is composed by a total of 335 buses. Besides, it is also calculated the number of downstream customers to those buses. Fig. 4 illustrates these two parameters considering the PDS-1 configuration.
1,0

Normalized load # Normalized customers

SE
0,8

0,6

Fig. 6. Geographical configuration of the power distribution system PDS-2.

0,4 1,0 0,2 0,8 0,0 0,0 5,0 10,0 15,0 20,0 0,6

Normalized load # Normalized customers

Distance (km)

Fig. 4. Load behavior and number of customers along the main feeder of the PDS-1.

0,4

By analyzing Fig. 4, it is possible to verify that the main feeder presents a sensitive change of load and number of downstream customers to the point with distance of 3.35 km counted from the substation. In real terms, it is due to fact of this feeder to dedicate its first 3 km, approximately, to the feeding of urban loads and the remaining (more than 15 km) destined to the feeding of rural loads. This sensitive variation of parameters is not observed for the minimum short-circuit current along the main feeder, which is justified by the uniformity of its cables. Fig. 5 illustrates the behavior of the minimum short-circuit current along the main feeder of the power distribution system PDS-1. In Fig. 6 is presented the geographical configuration of the

0,2

0,0 0,0 5,0 10,0 15,0 20,0 25,0 30,0 35,0 40,0 45,0 50,0 55,0 60,0 65,0 70,0 75,0

Distance (km)

Fig. 7. Load behavior and number of customers along the main feeder of the PDS-2.

From Fig. 7, besides verifying as the load and the number of customers vary along the main feeder of the PDS-2, it is also verified your great extension. Such fact has still been more motivating in the investigation of techniques for optimal allocation of these fault indicator devices, which can

contribute for the rapid restoration of the power distribution system. Fig. 8 illustrates the behavior of the minimum shortcircuit current along the main feeder of the PDS-2.
1,0

relation to the respective main feeder of the PDS-1. In the same way, in Fig. 10 is presented the distance values between fault indicator devices considering o main feeder of the PDS2.
1,0

Minimum short-circuit current

0,8

0,8

Normalized distance

0,6

0,6

0,4

0,4

0,2

0,2

0,0 0,0 5,0 10,0 15,0 20,0 25,0 30,0 35,0 40,0 45,0 50,0 55,0 60,0 65,0 70,0 75,0

0,0 0,0 5,0 10,0 15,0 20,0

Distance (km)

Distance (km)

Fig. 8. Behavior of the minimum short-circuit current along the main feeder of the PDS-2.

Fig. 9. Normalized distance between fault indicators along the main feeder of the PDS-1.

As observed for the main feeder of the PDS-1, it is also verified for the PDS-2 that the minimum short-circuit current has uniform decrease, which is direct reflex of the cables used in the composition of its main feeder. C. Distances to the More Adjacent Protection Devices The calculation of the distance to the more adjacent fault indicator devices can be accomplished in way similar to the exposed in Subsection 2.A. The necessary adaptation for this operation should be made on the first row of the matrix A, corresponding to the equation of null reference for the distance. In the example presented in Subsection 2.A, the reference had been put on the bus of number 1, which corresponds to the substation bus. In this way, considering that a fault indicator device is placed on the bus of number 3, the matrix A should be modified, as presented in (10), so that the solution (vector x) provides the distance in that each bus is positioned in relation to the device installed in the bus of number 3.
Normalized distance

1,0

0,8

0,6

0,4

0,2

0,0 0,0 5,0 10,0 15,0 20,0 25,0 30,0 35,0 40,0 45,0 50,0 55,0 60,0 65,0 70,0 75,0

Distance (km)

Fig. 10. Normalized distance between fault indicators along the main feeder of the PDS-2.

Differently of that behavior observed in the PDS-1, the distance between fault indicator devices is more uniform for the main feeder of the PDS-2, excepting the area around the distance of 63 km. III. RESULTS OF THE FUZZY INFERENCE SYSTEM USED FOR OPTIMAL ALLOCATION OF FAULT INDICATOR DEVICES

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

A=

To illustrate as the distance until the closer adjacent devices is proceeded, it is presented in Fig. 9 the behavior of this parameter along the mains feeder of the PDS-1. From Fig. 9, it is verified that the largest distance values between fault indicator devices is around 10 and 15 km in

(10)

From the analysis accomplished on the main parameters involved with the proper operation of fault indicator devices, it was possible to extract the pertinent information for the quantification of potential points for their installations along primary feeders of electric power distribution systems. Taking into account real information provided by the distribution company, the fuzzy inference system responsible by estimating the potential points for installation of fault indicators should also be sensitive to the load, customer profile and short-circuit current levels of the downstream system to the respective points. Therefore, a fuzzy inference system was formulated (Fig. 11) to estimate the potential points for installation of fault

indicators in primary feeders. The aid of fuzzy logic allows qualitative information to be handled, because this mode of reasoning can produce rational decisions even in a scenario of uncertain and imprecise data, some of which may actually conflict [12]. Situations of this kind have been observed extensively among the data employed in this study, which exhibits nonlinear highly variables and uncertain behavior that are hard to model by conventional techniques of system identification. In this way, the input parameters to the fuzzy inference system are those defined above, which produces outputs between 0 and 1, that represent the values of the installation potentials along the primary feeder. As closer of 1 are these values, larger then will be the potentials for installation of fault indicators in these points.
fuzzyfication Inference rules load consumers minimum short-circuit current distance defuzzyfication

From the data presented in Section 2 and using the fuzzy inference system described in this section, it was then calculated the potential points for installation of fault indicator devices along the main feeder of the power distribution systems PDS-1 and PDS-2, which are illustrated in Fig. 13 and 14. It is possible to observe that, although the main feeder of the PDS-1 has a larger downstream load, the principal points for installation of fault indicator devices are not in its urban area. In Fig. 14 is highlighted the installation potential of fault indicator devices for the main feeder of the PDS-2. Except for the final branches of this feeder, the installation potential has the tendency of being reduced as the distance in relation to the substation increases. Such results indicate that the current network of existent fault indicator devices in this feeder is coherent, just needing an evaluation in its terminal branches.
1,0

0,8

installation potential

Installation potential

0,6

Inference

0,4

Fig. 11. Outline sketch of the fuzzy inference system.

0,2

In a general way, the specification of a fuzzy system can be made through the human experience, or still, using automatic adjustment techniques that are based on known input/output pairs. For the problem here treated, the first specification strategy was more appropriate. Therefore, the fuzzy inference system represented by Fig. 11 has been constituted by a total of 28 rules. Each input/output parameter is composed by a group of 5 normalized membership functions as those presented in Fig. 12. A detailed description of fuzzy set theory can be found in [12].
1,0

0,0 0,0 5,0 10,0 15,0 20,0

Distance (km)

Fig. 13. Installation potential of fault indicator devices along the main feeder of the PDS-1.

1,0

0,8

Installation potential
VS SM ME BI VB

0,6

0,4

0,8

Membership degree

0,2
0,6

0,0 0,0 5,0 10,0 15,0 20,0 25,0 30,0 35,0 40,0 45,0 50,0 55,0 60,0 65,0 70,0 75,0

0,4

Distance (km)

0,2

Fig. 14. Installation potential of fault indicator devices along the main feeder of the PDS-2.
0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0

0,0

Normalized input

Fig. 12. Illustration of normalized membership functions for optimal allocation of fault indicator devices.

From the presented results, it is possible to verify as the input variables of the fuzzy system are inferred in order to provide the installation potential for fault indicator devices along a particular feeder. Observing the load data and the number of customers for both feeders, it is also possible to

verify some analogous results in relation to the places selected by the fuzzy inference system to allocate fault indicator devices. However, aspects as the distance until the closer devices have also allowed to discover existent differences among the investigated feeders. IV. CONCLUSION In this paper was described the pertinent procedures to quantify the installation potential of fault indicator devices along the primary branches of real power distribution systems. It was also presented an efficient architecture of intelligent system, based on fuzzy inference, in order to determine in an optimized way the most appropriate points to receive fault indicator devices. Besides providing the installation potential for new fault indicator devices to be allocated in the power distribution system, the obtained results also denote the potentiality of the proposed approach in evaluating the current network of fault indicator devices that are already installed along the main feeders. V. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors gratefully acknowledge the technical support received from the ELEKTRO Power Distribution Company. VI. REFERENCES
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VII. BIOGRAPHIES
Dbora Maria Barbosa Salvador de Souza was born in Rio Claro, Brazil, in 1960. She graduated in electrical engineering from the Taubat University, Brazil, in 1985. Currently she is senior engineer in areas involved with system operation at the ELEKTRO Electricity Company, and she is also M.Sc student in electrical engineering at the University of So Paulo. Her research interests are within the field of power system protection, power quality and intelligent systems. Ivan Nunes da Silva was born in So Jos do Rio Preto, Brazil, in 1967. He received both M.Sc. and Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the State University of Campinas, Brazil, in 1995 and 1997, respectively. Currently he is an Associate Professor at the University of So Paulo (USP), Brazil. His research interests are within the fields of artificial neural networks, fuzzy inference systems, genetic algorithms, hybrid intelligent systems, power systems, nonlinear optimization, identification and control. He is also the Technical Coordinator for the 'Intelligent Systems' Session of the Brazilian Society for Automation, and associate editor of the Journal of Control \& Automation (Brazil). He has published more than 200 papers in congress proceedings, international journals and book chapters. Valmir Ziolkowski was born in Americana, Brazil, in 1973. He graduated in electrical engineering from the Salesiana University, Brazil, in 1998. He received M.Sc degree in electrical engineering from the University of So Paulo (USP), Brazil, in 2007. Currently he is senior engineer in areas involved with system protection and power quality at the ELEKTRO Electricity Company, and he is also Ph.D student in electrical engineering at the University of So Paulo. His research interests are within the field of fault identification, power system protection, power quality and intelligent systems. Rogrio Andrade Flauzino was born in Franca, Brazil, in 1978. He graduated in electrical engineering and received M.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the So Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil, in 2001 and 2004, respectively. He received Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of So Paulo (USP), Brazil, in 2007. Currently he is an Assistant Professor at the University of So Paulo. His research interests are within the field of fault identification in power distribution systems, computational intelligence and nonlinear optimization. He has published more than 50 papers in congress proceedings, international journals and book chapters.

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