Presented by Anirudhh Ravi, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
This presentation introduces innovative methods for accurately simulating stable and intermittent ground faults in Petersen coil-grounded distribution systems. Compensated grounding is increasingly adopted to improve reliability, reduce equipment stress, and significantly lower wildfire ignition risk by limiting ground fault current through an arc‑suppression coil (ASC). As utilities in North America expand the use of ASCs and ground fault neutralizers (GFNs), protection systems must evolve to detect reduced‑magnitude, short‑duration, and highly dynamic ground fault signals with greater sensitivity and selectivity.
We begin with a brief overview of Petersen coil grounding, the behavior of intermittent ground faults, and their importance in wildfire‑prone regions. The presentation then covers modeling of underground cables and the ASC, followed by the validation of various system parameters to ensure simulation accuracy. A custom logic model is introduced to reproduce both stable and intermittent ground fault characteristics, followed by a comparison with real field events to demonstrate credibility.