An expert system for power systems fault analysis

This paper describes an expert system for fault analysis which has been put into field tests in the dispatch centre of the North East China Electric Network. Previous expert systems for fault analysis on transmission power systems are mainly based on information about the operation of protective relays, whereas this new expert system mainly uses information on tripped circuit breakers, which is more readily available. For some complicated faults, a small number of relay signals are needed. Data concerning the distribution and characteristics of protective relays are concealed in the fault models in the knowledge base of the expert system. And consequently the large database normally required for these data is unnecessary. This also enables the expert system to be more easily transplanted to other networks. Furthermore, because it can distinguish the operational performances of different relays, it analyses faults more accurately.<>