DETECTING FAILURE LOCATIONS IN POWER CABLES

摘要

This application relates to methods and apparatus for determining the location of a fault (204) in a power cable (100) of a power distribution network. The method involves monitoring at least one electrical parameter of the power distribution network to detect the occurrence of a fault in the power cable and determine at least one time window (twin) for the occurrence of the fault. The fault may be detected by detecting opening of a circuit breaker (205). The method involves analysing a first set of measurement signals is obtained by a distributed fibre optic sensor (302) having a sensing optical fibre (301) deployed along the path of the power cable. The first set of measurement signals comprise signals indicative of the extent of any disturbances on each of a plurality of longitudinal sensing portions of the sensing fibre over a known time period. The measurement signals are analysed based on said at least one time window for measurement signals (502) indicative of a fault in the power cable and the location of the fault in the power cable is identified based on the location of one or more longitudinal sensing portions of the sensing fibre giving rise to the measurement signals indicative of a fault in the power cable.