A Novel Busbar Protection Based on the Average Product of Fault Components

This paper proposes an original busbar protection method, based on the characteristics of the fault components. The method firstly extracts the fault components of the current and voltage after the occurrence of a fault, secondly it uses a novel phase-mode transformation array to obtain the aerial mode components, and lastly, it obtains the sign of the average product of the aerial mode voltage and current. For a fault on the busbar, the average products that are detected on all of the lines that are linked to the faulted busbar are all positive within a specific duration of the post-fault. However, for a fault at any one of these lines, the average product that has been detected on the faulted line is negative, while those on the non-faulted lines are positive. On the basis of the characteristic difference that is mentioned above, the identification criterion of the fault direction is established. Through comparing the fault directions on all of the lines, the busbar protection can quickly discriminate between an internal fault and an external fault. By utilizing the PSCAD/EMTDC software (4.6.0.0, Manitoba HVDC Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada), a typical 500 kV busbar model, with one and a half circuit breakers configuration, was constructed. The simulation results show that the proposed busbar protection has a good adjustability, high reliability, and rapid operation speed.