Review of methodologies for earth fault indication and location in compensated and unearthed MV distribution networks

Feeder automation is one of the key features of Smart Grids aiming at developing self-healing systems, able to locate the fault and automatically perform the isolation and supply restoration. Reliable fault indication and location is a prerequisite for this functionality. This paper reviews the state of the art technologies and techniques for determining single-phase earth fault location on MV distribution networks. Accurate information about the faulted line or cable section expedites system restoration following the fault occurrence. This paper presents a review of the principles of fault location and indication techniques and their application considerations. In order to gain further insight into the strengths and limitations of each method, a comparative analysis is carried out. Finally, the paper identifies further research and presents the selected promising approaches.