Advanced Distribution

Management System:
Fault Location, Isolation,
and Service Restoration
Schneider Electric Smart Grid Solutions Suite
Managing the Generation Systems of the Smart Grid Era

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Advanced Distribution Management

System: Fault Location, Isolation, and
Service Restoration
A key component of Schneider Electrics Advanced Distribution
Management System (ADMS) is the Fault Location, Isolation, and
Service Restoration (FLISR) functionality.
To maintain reliable service, Schneider Electrics FLISR application provides the
optimal plan of control actions for detecting, locating, and isolating faults and
restoring power on a distribution feeder.
Using the FLISR application, operators can most efficiently use existing field
equipment in order to minimize the duration of the outage and undelivered
energy thereby improving SAIFI, SAIDI, and related indices for different
feeder configurations with various level of protection and automation.
FLISR detects the following types of faults: phase-to-ground, two-phase, twophase-to-ground and three-phase (-to-ground) short circuits.
A de-energization in the medium voltage network occurs after a fault on a feeder
section or any other network device. This initiates automatic opening of the
corresponding feeders circuit breaker or recloser. Detection of the circuit breaker
or recloser trip due to a fault is the initial step in identification of an outage in the
FLISR process.
The FLISR process includes the following steps/applications:
1. Fault Location: Locating the part of the feeder with the faulted network
element (e.g. faulted cable or overhead section) using appropriate methods.
These methods take into account all deployed equipment in the distribution
system for fault detection and location.
2. Fault Localization: Locating the part of the feeder with the faulted element
using remotely and/or manually controlled switching devices. This step is
used for feeders without deployed equipment for fault location, such as fault
indicators and fault measurements.
3. Element (Fault) Isolation: This step isolates the faulted element from the
remaining part of the feeder.
4. Service Restoration: Re-supplying of de-energized sections on the faulted
feeder via switch orders.
5. Return to Normal State: Returns the network to the state before the fault
occurred.

02 | Advanced Distribution Management System: Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration

Maximize reliability
via advanced FLISR
functionality

Figure 1.
Automatic FLISR Cycle

In ADMS, each of these five steps/applications can

automatic execution of Element Isolation and Service

also be run as an independent application. They can

Restoration, in sequence;

be used in fault conditions, but also steps 3, 4, and

Manual all individual FLISR steps/applications

5 can be used in a network without faults (e.g. for

can be run by operator request. The results of

planned maintenance).

previously executed functions will have influence

on other functions; e.g. after Fault Location is run.

FLISR Modes

Element Isolation will isolate elements which are

FLISR can be run in the following modes:

marked as in a fault condition during the Fault

Location step.

Automatic (Closed Loop) Fault Location is

executed automatically without operator interaction

Either FLISR mode is capable of processing and

when a permanent fault on a feeder is detected.

resolving multiple concurrent fault conditions, as

Fault Location execution can be followed by

shown in figure 2.

Figure 2.
FLISR Outage Details
Window

Advanced Distribution Management System: Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration | 03

5 steps
The FLISR process includes five steps or applications

Advanced Distribution Management

System: Fault Location, Isolation, and
Service Restoration
Integration
Schneider Electrics FLISR application works in
combination with ADMS Outage Management
functions, including the mobile Field Client
application. In addition, Schneider Electrics ADMS
is integrated with OASyS SCADA for real-time
monitoring and control and WeatherSentry for
accurate weather forecasting including temperature,
cloud cover, wind speed, and humidity.

Managing the Distribution Network of the

Smart Grid Era
Schneider Electrics ADMS represents the evolution
of control room technology by merging DMS, OMS,
and SCADA technologies into one comprehensive
network management solution. As part of the
Schneider Electric Smart Grid solutions suite, it can
help your utility transition into a next-generation
energy provider by enabling safer, more reliable,
and more efficient power distribution. Contact us for
more information about how this unified Schneider
Electric solution can help you meet your utilitys
Smart Grid goals.

Advanced Distribution Management System: Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration | 05

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Schneider Electric USA, Inc.

4701 Royal Vista Circle
Fort Collins, CO 80528
Phone: 1-866-537-1091
Fax: 970-223-5577
www.schneider-electric.com/us
January 2014