Support vector classification and regression for fault location in distribution system using voltage sag profile

Fault location identification is an important task to provide reliable service to the customer. Most existing artificial intelligence methods such as neural network, fuzzy logic, and support vector machine (SVM) focus on identifying the fault type, section, and distance separately. Furthermore, studies on fault type identification are focused on overhead transmission systems and not on underground distribution systems. In this paper, a fault location method in the distribution system is proposed using SVM, addressing the limitations of existing methods. Support vector classification (SVC) and regression analysis are performed to locate the fault. The method uses the voltage sag data during a fault measured at the primary substation. The type of fault is identified using SVC. The fault resistance and the voltage sag for the estimated fault resistance are identified using support vector regression (SVR) analysis. The possible faulty sections are identified from the estimated voltage sag data and ranked using the Euclidean distance approach. The proposed method identifies the fault distance using SVR analysis. The performance of the proposed method is analyzed using Malaysian distribution system of 40 buses. Test results show that the proposed method gives reliable fault location.