A Novel Wavelet-Based Approach for Transmission Line Fault Detection and Protection

The reliable operation of modern power systems is critically dependent on the rapid and accurate isolation of transmission line faults, as failures can trigger cascading outages with severe socioeconomic consequences. While conventional protection schemes like overcurrent and distance relays are widely deployed, they exhibit limitations in speed, selectivity, and performance under high-impedance or evolving fault conditions, representing a significant gap in ensuring grid resilience. To address this, the objective of this research is to design and validate a novel Wavelet Transform Analysis with traditional relaying to enhance fault detection and classification. Through comprehensive modeling and simulation in MATLAB/Simulink, the proposed system demonstrated a mean fault detection time of 11.4 milliseconds and an accuracy of 99.8%, significantly outperforming conventional methods, particularly in challenging scenarios such as high-impedance and intermittent faults. These findings imply that the wavelet-enhanced framework offers a robust, adaptive solution for modern and future power networks, contributing directly to improved system stability, reduced outage times, and a foundational step toward intelligent, self-securing grid infrastructure.