Transmission Lines Protection From Open Circuit and Short Circuit Faults Using Basic Logics
Transmission Lines Protection From Open Circuit and Short Circuit Faults Using Basic Logics
Abstract: When demand grows and electricity transmission lines expand, distribution power systems' efficiency and
dependability are becoming more and more important. Because electricity-related issues have a vital impact on the
stability and dependability of the power system, they should be identified and fixed as soon as possible. Transmission lines,
the main component of this network, provide electricity to the utility. These lines are regularly harmed by unexpected
failures that arise from a variety of unanticipated factors. Researchers are attempting to quickly identify and diagnose
these issues to prevent financial losses. Using logic gate setup approaches to detect SC and OC for short-distance
protection (SDP), this research suggests a method to foresee power system problems. Early on in the system's life, this
model anticipates both progressive and abrupt problems. To detect OC and SC in the models, three-phase measurements
of voltages, currents, and active power are taken to the logic gate setup during faults and normal operating conditions. By
simulating the fault with various settings and modeling it in MATLAB/Simulink, the long-term reliability of the technique
is confirmed.
Keywords: Transmission Lines Protection, Short Circuit and Open Circuit Fault, Detection of System Fault.
How to Cite: Ahmed Ibrahim Yusuf Ali; Mohan C; (2025). Transmission Lines Protection from Open Circuit and Short Circuit
Faults using Basic Logics. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology,
(RISEM–2025), 50-58. https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25jun166
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Special Issue, RISEM–2025 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
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instance since the recloser logic will take over. By but their capacity to locate open circuit faults might be
reconnecting the line, the system will be immediately restored limited. When open circuit failures generate a phase angle
in this scenario [5]. mismatch between the voltage and current at the fault
location, phase comparison relays can identify it.
Two of the ongoing flaws include tower breakage and
shredding of transmission line wire. When a recloser A. Need for Fault Detection in Power Transmission Lines
operation fails, the fault for these types of faults will continue, Faults can arise in power systems for several causes,
and eventually, the breakers will be permanently opened. including equipment failures, environmental conditions, and
Subsequently, the repair team must precisely find and operational errors. Transmission lines, distribution lines,
promptly rectify this defect. The right algorithms can, transformers, power plants, and other equipment are arranged
however, also be used to identify temporary defects to verify in complex networks to build power systems.
the line condition and address any unwanted issues.
The main components of overhead power transmission
Since the electric power transmission line moves lines' regular operation are power, frequency, voltage and
electricity from the point of generation to the point of current. Along with power frequency components, there will
distribution, it is one of the most important components of the also be voltage and current fault components when a line
power system network. Continuous power delivery is largely failure happens. The narrow pulse wave that travels down the
dependent on these lines' operation. A fault on these lines, line from the fault point to both sides of the fault point can be
which is unavoidable and much beyond the control of thought of as the fault component [9].
manhood, is one of the most important factors preventing the
uninterrupted provision of electric power [6]. A malfunction Transmission lines are used to transport massive
that goes unnoticed for an extended period could cause amounts of electricity across vast distances, frequently
enormous damage or a blackout. through inhospitable or remote locations. Any issue with these
lines has the potential to cause massive power outages that
Therefore, to support fleet repair and the restoration of impact a large number of customers. To reduce the length and
the power supply with the least amount of disturbance, it is extent of outages, fault detection systems assist in promptly
important to possess a more advanced and well-coordinated discovering defects, enabling operators to isolate the
transmission line relaying scheme that efficiently detects and problematic region and restore power to unaffected areas [10].
characterizes any form of problem within the designated
period [7], [8]. Impedance-based fault detection systems Transmission lines, Transformers, circuit breakers, and
examine the impedance characteristics of the transmission line switches are examples of expensive equipment that can
to find open circuit and short-circuit problems. Short circuit sustain major damage from transmission line failures,
failures typically result in a large reduction of line impedance, including short circuits and line-to-ground disturbances. To
but open circuit faults cause an infinite impedance. Impedance stop additional equipment damage and lower maintenance and
relays compare the measured impedance of the line with replacement costs, operators can quickly identify faults and
predetermined thresholds to find defects. For instance, if the trip safety devices to isolate the problematic area [11].
impedance falls below a certain level, it signals a short circuit
fault. Short-distance Protection using logic gates to detect
open circuits and short circuits in power transmission lines
Because short circuit faults create an abrupt change in refers to a method or system designed to safeguard power
the impedance that the relay senses, long-distance relays are transmission lines from faults such as open circuits and short
capable of detecting them. Current suddenly rises over circuits, particularly in sections of the lines that are relatively
predefined levels during a short circuit. Because of this, the close to the monitoring or control points. In this context, logic
damaged area is isolated and the circuit breaker is tripped by gates are employed to analyze voltage or current signals from
the overcurrent relay. Relays are devices that, since they the power transmission lines and make decisions based on
include overcurrent protection, can help locate short circuits, predefined logic conditions.
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It is normal practice in control of a power transmission need to be changed when they open. The circuit can be
system to represent a control system using a block diagram of restored by pushing the handle to the "OFF" position and back
Basic Fault Detection and Control System (BFDCS) for to the "ON" position. A licensed electrician should inspect a
transmission lines. This connection of BFDCS is shown fig. 1. circuit if it reopens after being reset to the "ON" position.
Power source generates electricity from centralized V-I measurements are used to track the voltage and
power plants and transmitted to consumers via a network of current at many locations in the power system, such as
interconnected transmission lines, substations, and distribution networks, substations, transmission lines, and
distribution networks (12). The power source it offers allows individual loads (15). Operators can evaluate the health of the
for the creation of several types of energy, including electrical network, spot departures from standard operating
mechanical and electrical. The power source for a power procedures, and implement remedial measures to preserve
transmission line is typically the revolving electrical generator system stability and dependability by using real-time V-I
of a power plant. parameter monitoring (16).
The transformer is composed of two set of three phase The fault detection system described primarily utilizes
wire coils that are coiled around a core. These coils are the various components for protection and to detect faults in
primary and secondary windings. The primary winding is electrical lines. The system can be either analog or digital.
connected to the electrical power source/supply, while the The analog type is still popular due to its greater reliability;
secondary winding is connected to a load side. however, it typically requires more physical space.
For example, if the secondary winding has half of as The digital system is developed using digital processors
many turns as the primary winding, the voltage at the such as microprocessors or microcontrollers. Alongside these
secondary will be half that of the primary winding (13). processors, electrical and electronic circuits function as the
Power transformers are crucial for safely and effectively input and output interfaces. These interfacing circuits
transmitting electricity across long distances. The following typically operate at medium-level voltages, while the digital
are the key characteristics of power transformers in processors themselves operate at low-level voltages, typically
transmission lines: a) Electrical systems use power less than 5V.
transformers to modify voltage levels b) the primary purpose
of transmission lines is to increase voltage for efficient long- In this research paper, digital logic concepts have been
distance power transmission and then decrease it for end-user used to detect faults in a simulated environment. The fault
distribution. detection has been implemented in MATLAB using digital
logic gates. The implementation details are discussed in the
Additionally, circuit breakers offer defense against short following sections.
circuits, which happen when low-impedance wires are
inadvertently connected. Extremely high currents from short To implement fault detection using logic gates
circuits can endanger public safety and seriously harm specifically, an electrical engineer can design a system that
equipment. Circuit breakers identify short circuits and trip the monitors the status of transmission lines and triggers an alarm
faulty portion of the circuit when they sense it (14). A manual or isolation mechanism when a fault is detected. For instance,
approach of energizing and de-energizing a circuit is provided an AND gate can be used to check specific combinations of
via circuit breakers. A circuit breaker can be reset once the signals that indicate different types of faults.
overcurrent problem has been resolved, unlike fuses, which
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In real-time power system planning and operation, the ground and each other, commonly caused by huge
transmission lines are significantly influenced by system load, damage. (19). Typically, power network equipment ensures
which can affect decisions related to grid modernization safe system operation with specified voltages and currents.
projects, increasing generation capacity, and upgrading when the unwanted signal occurs, they generate abnormal
transmission infrastructure(17). current flow patterns that could damage nearby equipment.
(20). As seen in Figs. 2(a) and 2(b), examples include line-to-
II. TYPES OF FAULTS IN POWER LINES line-to-ground or line-to-line-to-line. Symmetrical faults are
thought to occur at a frequency of between 3 and 6%. They
Symmetric Faults: A defect in a three-phase system is leave the system in a balanced state and seriously harm
termed symmetric or balanced when it uniformly impacts power equipment.
each of the three phases. Typically, only 5% of all faults
exhibit symmetric characteristics (18). In general, non-symmetrical defects are less severe but
more common; they are also known as imbalanced faults. In
Asymmetrical Faults: The effects of an asymmetric or these instances, the current flows in the phases differ due to
imbalanced fault vary between the three phases. All the lines varying impedance values in each phase, creating a systemic
are subcategories of asymmetric faults. Physical line contact, imbalance. Non-symmetrical faults typically manifest in
like a damaged insulator, or air ionization are common cause three primary forms of lines (22). Among these fault types,
of the undesired signal between two lines and fault line to Line-to-ground faults are the most prevalent, constituting 65
Ground. to 70% of all fault occurrences (23) The following diagram
of unequal mistakes is depicted in Fig. 3.
The physical unwanted signal from lightning or a storm
physically touching one line and the ground. Line to Line to
Ground Fault happens when two lines make touch with both
(a) (b)
Fig 2 Symmetric faults (a) Line to Line to Line to Ground (b) Line to Line to Line (21)
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III. DEVELOPMENT OF FAULT DETECTION AND level. The control signal for the circuit breaker is generated
CONTROL SYSTEM FOR OC AND SC USING from the output of the three-input AND gate.
MATLAB
The current in each line is compared with preset
Using MATLAB, fault analysis of a 3-phase threshold values. For normal operation, the input voltage
transmission line can be performed by simulating different source level is adjusted to ensure that the current flow in the
fault scenarios. The analysis includes studying fault currents, system remains within acceptable limits while monitoring the
voltages, and their effects on protection devices. status of the circuit breaker. Fig. 4 displays the OC fault test
status.
A. Model 1
A model has been developed using MATLAB for open- In the first stage of comparison, both lower and upper
circuit (OC) fault detection and control, as shown in Fig. 4. current limits are set as preset values. During fault analysis,
The major components of the model include a three-phase when one of the lines becomes an open circuit, the model
load, measurement blocks to monitor the RMS values of disconnects the source using the circuit breaker. However,
current, and scopes to observe and analyze the graphs of line when one or more phases experience open-circuit faults,
currents and voltages. The core of the system consists of system balance is disrupted. This leads to uneven current
comparison blocks and logical signal generators. An AND distribution, potential overloading of the remaining
gate is used at the final decision-making stage. operational lines, and the absence of current flow in the
affected lines. Such imbalances can result in either
There are two types of AND gates used in the model: a overcurrent or zero-current conditions in other lines connected
two-input AND gate along with logical output comparators at to the system. Automatically, this above situation trigger the
input stage and a three-input AND gate at the final decision circuit breaker and isolate the transmission lines from load.
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The current measurement of the open circuit fault circuit is fig.6, which shows the voltage measurement of the open
shown in fig.5, above. The first phase line produces an open circuit fault circuit, the first phase line indicates that there is
circuit, informing the consumer of an indication of an open an open fault in the system by becoming an open circuit,
fault in the system, while the remaining lines become zero.In while the remaining lines become zero.
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IV. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE SCOPE Advancements in fault detection techniques represent
one of the key areas of future growth in digital fault detection
One of the most prevalent and costly components in the systems. Engineers and researchers are continuously
transmission and distribution system is the power transformer. exploring innovative methods to enhance the precision, speed,
Regular monitoring of transformer health is not only cost- and efficiency of these systems. Among these methods, logic
effective but also enhances overall reliability. Traditionally, gate-based fault detection offers a foundational approach that
transformer maintenance adhered to predetermined schedules. is particularly useful for learners and early-stage practitioners.
However, advancements in communication technology have It allows them to understand the critical importance of
allowed operators and authorities to remotely receive fault detecting faults in power transmission lines and offers insight
information from transformers through digital fault detection into how a basic digital fault detection system can be
setup. This capability enables them to take proactive measures implemented using digital processors such as microcontrollers
before a fault escalates to a critical level. These faults can or microprocessors.
arise from various issues, either transient or irreversible,
posing a potential threat to the power system. Significant In both open-circuit (OC) and short-circuit (SC)
harm may occur, leading to power supply interruptions and conditions, logic gate configurations, in combination with
affecting connected industries. Faults in the system are comparison blocks and current sensing circuits, enable
classified as Line to Ground, Line to Line, and Three lines in accurate detection of fault events. For instance, in the OC
a three-phase electrical system. An automated system detects model, current values are compared against preset thresholds,
faults and disconnects the supply to address issues promptly, and logic gates determine whether the conditions indicate a
preventing extensive damage to the system's equipment. In the fault. Similarly, in the SC model, a controlled fault block is
case of a permanent malfunction, as opposed to a transient used to simulate short-circuit conditions, with logic gates
disruption, the system automatically cuts off the supply for an evaluating whether current flow exceeds the defined safety
appropriate duration, whether short or long. limits. These basic models serve as an ideal starting point for
learners to understand the relationship between electrical
In conclusion, logic gate-based digital fault detection parameters and logic-based control.
provides a clear, practical foundation for understanding fault
identification in power systems. It not only introduces learners Once learners gain proficiency in implementing such
to core digital concepts but also opens the path to advanced basic fault detection models, they can advance their
applications using AI/ML techniques in MATLAB, paving understanding by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and
the way for the next generation of intelligent, efficient, and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to create intelligent fault
robust fault detection systems. detection systems. MATLAB, as a powerful tool for
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