On the Use the Electromagnetic Time Reversal Theory to Locate Breakpoints in Grounding Electrodes

In recent years, the electromagnetic time reversal (EMTR) theory has been successfully applied for locating various sources of disturbances, such as short-circuit faults, in power systems. In this paper, a technique based on the EMTR is applied to locate defects in grounding electrodes. Analytical expressions are derived applying the transmission line equations in the frequency domain to the case of locating breakpoints on a simple horizontal electrode. The method was successfully applied to locate breakpoints in short and long grounding electrodes, buried in soils of low and high conductivity. According to the results obtained through simulations, the proposed method appears to be very promising for real applications.