Fault Location Method for an Active Distribution Network Based on a Hierarchical Optimization Model and Fault Confidence Factors
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The topic is interesting and this paper is ambitious with a strong desire to consider important aspects in the field of protection systems and fault location methods. The content of the manuscript is very good and the paper is well written and organized.
1. How does this methodology deal with different types and models of DGs; renewable and nonrenewable energy sources?
2. How does this algorithm deal with the grid uncertainties?
3. How does this methodology deal with different types of faults, balanced and unbalanced faults?
4. How the network configuration considered in the proposed method. What would be the solution for other topologies such as meshed distribution network? Authors should implement the algorithm for another test system mainly meshed one.
5. The test systems used are not described in enough details. Please highlight the technical specifications of the different components including the DG model and specifications. Please specify the whole assumptions used in the implantation process of your algorithm.
6. In the test cases, why the DGs inserted in these locations? Optimal location and capacity are important factors of DG and affected on the value of fault current, are these factors considered in your model.
Author Response
Dear reviewer,
We feel great thanks for your comments and valueble suggestions. We have carefully considered the comments and revised our manuscript. Please see the attachment for the detailed point-by-point response to your comments.
Best wishes.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
1. What is the reason for choosing improved binary particle swarm optimization algorithm over the present day widely applicable learning approaches for fault localization?
2. Does the fault information code in section 2.1 align with the estbalished grid standards (IEC or IEEE)? If so, please provide the information related to them and cite the corresponding reports.
3. Incase of multiple faults or cross talk between two faults at different loctaions in a same system how does the localization approach behave?
4. In the flow chart Fig 7, i am unable to follow up with the phenomenon t>t_max. From my understanding t_max is the maxium time. In this case does it mean that t is crossing the threshold og t_max or is there anythign which i am probably missing.
5. More results needs to be added on what types of faults are tested and what are the signatures of these faults that are used by the developed approach during the localization process.
Author Response
Dear reviewer,
We feel great thanks for your comments and valueble suggestions. We have carefully considered the comments and revised our manuscript. Please see the attachment for the detailed point-by-point response to your comments.
Best wishes.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
1. Section 1 should include subheadings like literature review research gap, novel contribution, paper organisations etc.
2. Authors are asked to compare their approach with recently published articles or techniques adopted from recently published articles to signify the viability of the proposed approach.
Author Response
Dear reviewer,
We feel great thanks for your comments and valueble suggestions. We have carefully considered the comments and revised our manuscript. Please see the attachment for the detailed point-by-point response to your comments.
Best wishes.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 4 Report
This paper proposes a hierarchical optimization model for fault location in large and complex distribution networks, which divides the fault location into two levels - area location and section location - to reduce the fault search dimension. An improved binary particle swarm optimization algorithm (IBPSO) is applied to the area location, and a fault candidate scenario screening method based on the fault confidence factor is proposed for section location. Simulation tests show that the proposed method has a good dimensionality reduction effect for large-scale active distribution networks and significantly improves the accuracy rate and location speed compared to traditional fault location methods. So generally paper is interesting and adequate to Electronic journal scope.
But I recommend following changes before final acceptance:
-> section 1 is very long. The literature review is on different issues. I recommend introducing subsections that will increase the flow of the paper.
-> in section 1 please add clear information what different fault scenarios were investigated in this research.
->Please add a general introduction to section 2. Hierarchical Optimization Model for Fault Location before subsection 2.1. Basic Principle of Distribution Network Fault Location
-> please discuss deeper why the hierarchical optimization model was selected under this investigation.
-> only one sentence "Future research could be conducted on the fault criterion of multi-source information fusion to further improve the reliability of distribution network fault location." is given as a future perspective. I believe that authors can extend it.
Author Response
Dear reviewer,
We feel great thanks for your comments and valueble suggestions. We have carefully considered the comments and revised our manuscript. Please see the attachment for the detailed point-by-point response to your comments.
Best wishes.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Thanks for the efforts from the authors. The reviewer has no further comments; authors have satisfactorily addressed most of my comments.
Reviewer 4 Report
Now I recommend this paper for publication.
