Where's The Problem?

Australian Switchgear Innovator NOJA Power today releases an upgrade to its OSM Series Reclosers with Recloser Control (RC), implementing Fault Location Capability. Available as a free firmware upgrade on currently installed RC-10 and RC-15 controlled systems, the Fault Locator functionality arms utilities and private organizations with the capability to estimate fault locations on their distribution feeders. The Fault Locator capability is the latest evolution of the NOJA Power Recloser, and now forms part of the standard protection suite in every Recloser that rolls off their production line.

Implemented in compliance to the ANSI 21FL Fault Location specification, the 21FL deployment in the NOJA Power Recloser does more than simply locate faults. Through the integrated sensor array in the NOJA Power OSM Recloser System, the device can also estimate the fault type, and even the responsible phases. Whether it is a worst case three phase fault through to a single line to ground, the RC-10 or RC-15 is now equipped with algorithms to detect and report the likely issue that the feeder is experiencing.

As expected, this information and control is all available for remote SCADA through any of the inbuilt communications RTU protocols supplied as standard in the NOJA Power Recloser. Whether you use DNP3, IEC 61850 or the IEC 870-101/104 protocols, the NOJA Power Recloser Control Cubicle is ready for integration into any control system.

NOJA Power's implementation of the Fault Locator standard allows for both local (controller panel) forecast of the distance to fault, and the remote reporting of fault parameters. This remote reporting of fault parameters allows for the RC to be integrated into a more complex centralized system for calculation of the distance to the fault. A selection of the available signals are presented in Table 1 below.

NOJA Power’s OSM Recloser is supplied standard with a class leading sensor array, including phase Current Transformers (CTs) and Voltage Transformers (VTs) on all phases on both sides of the interrupter. These VTs are a deployment of advanced engineering, providing exceptional accuracy across the protection range and providing a myriad of automation capabilities as standard. Not only does this precision allow for Fault Location, it even allows the NOJA Power OSM Recloser to also deploy Synchronism Check as a standard product feature available in every device.

“Fault location, either locally or centralized, is now possible using the RC-10 and RC-15 controls as a firmware upgrade,” reports NOJA Power Group Managing Director Neil O’Sullivan. “If you have RC-01 controls, you may like to consider upgrading them to RC-10 or RC-15 controls connected to the 200 series OSM tanks to take advantage of all the RC-10 and RC-15 functionality available.”

Pole mounted Auto-Reclosers have tremendous capability in improving the reliability, safety and commercial performance of distribution feeders. Through the deployment of 21FL Fault Location capability, the NOJA Power OSM Recloser can now inform operators of the fault location, reducing outage times and saving utilities money. The fault locator capability is available as a firmware upgrade to version 1.18.0.0 to all current users of the NOJA Power RC-10 or RC-15 controllers.