System and method for locating line faults in a medium voltage network

A method of locating line faults in a medium voltage network, the medium voltage network comprising a substation and a plurality of electricity carrying power lines extending outwardly therefrom, the power lines being arranged in a tree configuration having a central spine and a plurality of branches splitting off from the central spine at spine breakpoints;

• the system comprising a plurality of line mounted sensors distributed on the power lines monitoring an electrical property of the power line on which they are mounted, and a fault locating unit in communication with each of the line mounted sensors, the fault locating unit having a processor to analyse data received from the line mounted sensors, the method comprising the steps of:
• (a) at each spine breakpoint monitoring the electrical property of the power line upstream of the spine breakpoint and transmitting the monitored electrical property from upstream of the spine breakpoint to the fault locating unit;
• (b) at each spine breakpoint monitoring the electrical property of the power line downstream of the spine breakpoint and transmitting the monitored electrical property from downstream of the spine breakpoint to the fault locating unit;
• (c) the fault locating unit analysing the monitored electrical property received from the line mounted sensors and determining whether there is a fault on the medium voltage network;
• and
• (d) on determining that there is a fault in the medium voltage network, the fault locating unit determining the location of the fault on the medium voltage network.