Fault Location for Grid-Forming VSC System Based on Transient Analysis

Grid-forming (GFM) voltage source converter (VSC) presents new transient characteristics under system faults, affected by the interaction between the controller and the faulty system. Although transient stability of GFM-VSC has been well researched recently, how to estimate the fault location in such kind of system remains to be discussed. To fill this research gap, this paper explores the potential of using transient overshoot for fault location in GFM-VSC systems. Transient analysis is conducted for a typical GFM-VSC, which showcases the relationship between transient overshoot and fault condition, and a location algorithm is then designed. Simulations validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. As only intrinsic measurement is needed, the proposed method outperforms the existing methods in no system interruption and saved cost of the location devices.