A new approach to fault section estimation in power systems using Ant system

In this paper, a new method to fault section estimation problem in power systems is developed using Ant System. Based on the information from the operated protective relays and tripped circuit breakers, the fault section estimation is first formulated as a combinatorial optimization problem. Then, a new approach known as the Ant System is applied to solve this optimization problem. The Ant System is suitable for solving problems of combinatorial optimization by means of agents that work in parallel, among a population and without a supervisor in a cooperative manner. Finally, a sample power system is used to demonstrate the efficiency of the Ant System based method. From these test results, it appears that the Ant System is of promise for the fault-section estimation problem. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.