The 27th Annual Georgia Tech Fault and Disturbance Analysis Conference was held at the Georgia Tech Hotel, Atlanta, USA. It brought together utility experts, engineers, and industry leaders to share insights on power system events, monitoring technologies, and disturbance analysis. The event featured in-depth case studies, practical experiences, and emerging methodologies focused on improving grid reliability and protection.
Day one followed the conference opening by a strong lineup of technical presentations. Highlights included analysis of simultaneous shunt and series faults, improved impedance-based fault location methods for untransposed lines, and TVA’s response to the May 2024 geomagnetic storm. Sessions covered harmonics in modern grids, IBR impacts on high-voltage operations, and digital protection consolidation. The day concluded with a discussion of real fault records brought by attendees.
Day two began with lightning data interpretation and real-world observations of geomagnetic disturbances. Presentations included innovative uses of tap changers for voltage balancing, the EPRI PREMS II system for distribution challenges, and high-resolution event monitoring through a VELCO pilot. Topics also addressed ferro resonance, mutual coupling, reactive power support from IBRs, and AI-driven unsupervised clustering for fault analysis. The event concluded with a creative session titled “A Collection of Bedtime Stories for Protection Engineers.”
This year’s conference reinforced the critical role of disturbance analysis and collaborative innovation in navigating the complexities of modern power systems. Vendor exhibits were open each evening, providing networking opportunities with industry professionals and technology providers.
