High-Voltage Cable Fault Location via Current Measurement

The patent extracts the fault location determination from complex voltage measurements at surge arrester devices and relocates it to current measurements at accessible cable ends. By measuring only conductor and shield currents at the cable terminals and processing them computationally, the method eliminates the need for physical voltage measurement equipment at intermediate surge arrester locations, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining location accuracy

The patent introduces computational modeling as an intermediary between current measurements and fault location determination. Instead of directly measuring voltage at fault points, the system uses measured currents combined with a digital twin model of the cable system to computationally derive fault location, replacing complex physical measurement requirements with simplified terminal measurements and information processing

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing a digital twin model of the cable system that incorporates all terrain-specific parameters and cable characteristics before actual fault detection. This pre-computed model contains pre-calculated impedance values and electrical characteristics that automatically account for terrain conditions, eliminating the need for operators to manually input or adjust terrain parameters during actual fault location operations

The patent creates a computational copy (digital twin) of the physical cable system that replicates its electrical characteristics and terrain interactions. This virtual model allows the system to determine fault locations by comparing measured currents against the pre-established digital replica, automatically accounting for all terrain-specific factors without requiring operators to understand or input terrain data, thus simplifying operation while maintaining precision