SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PULSED GROUND FAULT DETECTION AND LOCALIZATION

• Main Authors: WOLFE ROBERT THOMAS, DIMINO STEVEN ANDREW, LOUCKS DAVID GLENN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.12.2015
• Subjects: MEASURING; MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES; PHYSICS; TESTING

A system for locating a ground fault in a high resistance grounded (HRG) power distribution system includes a pulsing circuit configured to introduce a pulse current into the distribution system and current sensors adapted to monitor three-phase current signals present on conductors of the distribution system, with the current sensors positioned on a number of distribution networks included in the HRG power distribution system and at a protective device included on each respective distribution network. A processor associated with each protective device receives signals from the current sensors for identifying a location of the ground fault in the HRG power distribution system, with the processor associated with each protective device receiving measurements of the three-phase current signals from the current sensors over a plurality of cycles and identifying a pattern of interest in the three-phase current signals across the plurality of cycles in order to detect a ground fault.