Development of a solar-powered photovoltaic (PV) fault location system for medium voltage line in Tanzania

This paper presents a fault location system designed for medium-voltage (MV) distribution lines in Tanzania, where frequent outages disrupt economic and social activities. Existing manual fault location methods are slow and costly, while high-voltage solutions are expensive and unsuitable for MV sys...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Electrical engineering Vol. 107; no. 12; pp. 15441 - 15455
Main Authors: Ahmed, Salum, Mbuya, Benson H., Kichonge, Baraka, Maagi, Mtaki Thomas, Kivevele, Thomas
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.12.2025
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Artificial intelligence
Blackouts
Costs
Data analysis
Economics and Management
Efficiency
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Machines and Networks
Energy Policy
Engineering
Fault detection
Fault location
Global positioning systems
GPS
Infrastructure
Localization
Original Paper
Outages
Performance evaluation
Photovoltaic cells
Power Electronics
Power lines
Real time
Reliability
Resilience
Root-mean-square errors
Solar energy
Sustainable development
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Tanzania
Real-time current measurement
Arduino IDE
Fault current magnitude
MV distribution lines
Solar-powered photovoltaic (PV) system
Fault location system
ISSN:0948-7921, 1432-0487
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This paper presents a fault location system designed for medium-voltage (MV) distribution lines in Tanzania, where frequent outages disrupt economic and social activities. Existing manual fault location methods are slow and costly, while high-voltage solutions are expensive and unsuitable for MV systems. Inefficient fault detection extends restoration times, undermining grid reliability and impeding development in resource-constrained regions. This study aims to develop a solar-powered photovoltaic fault location system that leverages real-time current measurements analyzed from TANESCO’s operational data to reduce outage durations and enhance network resilience. Prototype integrates SCT013 current sensors and an ATmega328P-PU microcontroller, programmed via the Arduino IDE. The system continuously monitors fault currents and triggers GSM-based SMS alerts with precise GPS coordinates. Data analysis using MATLAB and Python evaluates system accuracy and response time. Tests on a 220 V radial feeder revealed detection times of 5–6 s a > 99% improvement over traditional manual methods (≈ 900 s). Mean Absolute Error (0.2325 A) and RMSE (0.234 A) confirm high precision relative to typical MV fault currents (50–500 A). These results demonstrate a robust, low-cost solution for autonomous fault localization, offering rapid, near real-time fault notification. This approach provides a practical solution for improving the reliability and resilience of Tanzania’s MV power distribution lines, contributing to the nation’s sustainable development goals.
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ISSN:0948-7921
1432-0487
DOI:10.1007/s00202-025-03335-w