# US 2019/0245342 A1 · Method and system providing feeder fault response > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0245342 A1 - Document ID: US20190245342A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/217,490 - Filed: 2018-12-12 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-03 - Assignees: S&C Electric Company - Applicants: S&C Electric Company - Inventors: Yoav Sharon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190245342A1 ## CPC - H02H 7/26: Sectionalised protection of cable or line systems, e.g. for disconnecting a section on which a short-circuit, earth fault, or arc discharge has occured (locating faults in cables G01R31/08) - G01R 31/086: {in power transmission or distribution networks, i.e. with interconnected conductors} - H02H 1/0007: {concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445)} - H02H 7/263: {involving transmissions of measured values (comparison of currents or voltages using pilot wires H02H3/30)} - G01R 19/2513: {Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging} - H02H 3/066: {Reconnection being a consequence of eliminating the fault which caused disconnection} - Y04S 10/52: Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location - H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H) - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract A method for determining whether a fault is on a feeder line or a lateral line so as to allow an upstream recloser on the feeder line to immediately open in response to the fault if it determines the fault is on the feeder line. The method includes measuring a downstream voltage on the feeder line at a downstream recloser during the fault and transmitting the downstream voltage from the downstream recloser to the upstream recloser. The method can determine that the fault is on the feeder line or the lateral line by determining whether the fault voltage is approximately the same as the downstream voltage, or by comparing a first distance from the upstream recloser to the fault location using the fault voltage and a second distance from the upstream recloser to a last location of the fault current on the feeder line using the downstream voltage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for identifying whether a fault is located on a feeder line or a lateral line in an electrical power distribution network, said network including a power source, an upstream switching device on the feeder line, a downstream switching device downstream from the upstream switching device relative to power flow from the power source on the feeder line, and a fuse in the lateral line, said lateral line being coupled to the feeder line at a tap location, said upstream and downstream switching devices being operable to allow or prevent the power signal from flowing through the switching device, the method comprising: measuring a current and voltage on the feeder line in the upstream switching device; identifying that a fault current is present indicating a fault on the feeder line or the lateral line in the upstream switching device; determining in the upstream switching device a fault location of the fault by identifying a fault voltage using the measured current and voltage; measuring a downstream voltage on the feeder line in the downstream switching device during the fault; transmitting the downstream voltage from the downstream switching device to the upstream switching device; determining that the fault location is on the feeder line or the lateral line based on the downstream voltage and the fault voltage; and opening a switch in the upstream switching device if it is determined that the fault location is on the feeder line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein determining a fault location includes estimating the voltage during the fault at each of a plurality of utility poles downstream of the upstream switching device and upstream of the fault location. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2 wherein determining a fault location includes identifying the fault location as the location where the fault voltage is zero or approximately zero. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3 wherein determining a fault location includes determining the fault location as the location where a reactive power that is determined based on the estimated voltage at the fault location becomes zero. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein determining that the fault location is on the feeder line or the lateral line includes determining whether the fault voltage is approximately the same as the downstream voltage, where if the fault and downstream voltages are approximately the same the fault location is on the feeder line and if the fault and downstream voltages are not approximately the same the fault location is on the lateral line. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining a first distance from the upstream switching device to the fault location using the fault voltage and determining a second distance from the upstream switching device to a last location of the fault current on the feeder line using the downstream voltage, wherein determining that the fault location is on the feeder line or the lateral line includes comparing the first and second distances where if the first and second distances are the same or nearly the same the fault location is on the feeder line and if the first and second distances are not the same the fault location is on the lateral line. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the upstream and downstream switching devices are reclosers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the power source is an electrical substation and the electrical power distribution network is a medium voltage power distribution network. ### Claim 9 A method for identifying whether a fault is located on a feeder line or a lateral line in a medium voltage power distribution network, said network including a substation, an upstream recloser on the feeder line, a downstream recloser downstream from the upstream recloser relative to power flow from the substation on the feeder line, and a fuse in the lateral line, said lateral line being coupled to the feeder line at a tap location, said upstream and downstream reclosers being operable to allow or prevent the power signal from flowing through the recloser, the method comprising: measuring a current and voltage on the feeder line in the upstream recloser; identifying that a fault current is present indicating a fault on the feeder line or the lateral line in the upstream recloser; determining in the upstream recloser a fault location of the fault by identifying a fault voltage using the measured current and voltage; determining in the upstream recloser a first distance from the upstream recloser to the fault location using the fault voltage; measuring a downstream voltage on the feeder line in the downstream recloser during the fault; transmitting the downstream voltage from the downstream recloser to the upstream recloser; determining in the upstream recloser a second distance from the upstream recloser to a last location of the fault current on the feeder line using the downstream voltage; determining that the fault location is on the feeder line or the lateral line by comparing the first and second distances where if the first and second distances are the same or nearly the same the fault location is on the feeder line and if the first and second distances are not the same the fault location is on the lateral line; and opening a switch in the upstream switching device if it is determined that the fault location is on the feeder line. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9 wherein determining a fault location includes estimating the voltage during the fault at each of a plurality of utility poles downstream of the upstream recloser and upstream of the fault location. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10 wherein determining a fault location includes identifying the fault location as the location where the fault voltage is zero or approximately zero. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11 wherein determining a fault location includes identifying the fault location as the location where a reactive power determined based on the estimated voltage at the fault location goes negative. ### Claim 13 A system for identifying whether a fault is located on a feeder line or a lateral line in an electrical power distribution network, the network including a power source, an upstream switching device on the feeder line, a downstream switching device downstream from the upstream switching device relative to power flow from the power source on the feeder line, and a fuse in the lateral line, the lateral line being coupled to the feeder line at a tap location, the upstream and downstream switching devices being operable to allow or prevent the power signal from flowing through the switching device, the system comprising: a voltage sensor and a current sensor on the feeder line in the upstream switching device having a voltage output corresponding to a feeder voltage and a current output corresponding to a feeder current; a fault detection processor couple to the current sensor, the fault detection processor configured to identify that a fault current is present on the feeder line or on the lateral line in the upstream switching device; the upstream switching device configured to identify a fault location of the fault by identifying a fault voltage at least using the voltage output; a downstream voltage sensor on the feeder line in the downstream switching device, the downstream voltage sensor configured to provide a downstream voltage output to the upstream switching device; wherein the fault detection processor is configured to determine that the fault location is on the feeder line or the lateral line based on the downstream voltage and the fault voltage and to open a switch in the upstream switching device if it is determined that the fault location is on the feeder line. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system according to claim 13 wherein the fault detection processor is further configured to estimate the voltage during the fault at each of a plurality of locations downstream of the upstream switching device and upstream of the fault location. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system according to claim 14 wherein the fault detection processor is further configured to identify the fault location as the location where the fault voltage is zero or approximately zero. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15 wherein the fault detection processor is further configured to determine the fault location as the location where a reactive power that is determined based on the estimated voltage at the fault location goes negative. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system according to claim 13 wherein the fault detection processor is operably coupled on the feeder line or the lateral line to determine whether the fault voltage is approximately the same as the downstream voltage, where if the fault and downstream voltages are approximately the same the fault location is on the feeder line and if the fault and downstream voltages are not approximately the same the fault location is on the lateral line. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system according to claim 13 wherein the fault detection processor is further configured to determine a first distance from the upstream switching device to the fault location using the fault voltage and a second distance from the upstream switching device to a last location of the fault current on the feeder line using the downstream voltage, and to determine that the fault location is on the feeder line or the lateral line by comparing the first and second distances where if the first and second distances are the same or nearly the same the fault location is on the feeder line and if the first and second distances are not the same the fault location is on the lateral line. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The system according to claim 13 wherein the upstream and downstream switching devices are reclosers. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The system according to claim 13 wherein the power source is an electrical substation and the electrical power distribution network is a medium voltage power distribution network.