End to end machine learning for fault detection and classification in power transmission lines

•End to end LSTM models detect and classify faults without features extraction.•End to end model works for faults during power swing conditions•End to end model is robust towards fault impedance, noise and operating conditions This paper proposes a new machine learning approach for fault detection and classification tasks in electrical power transmission networks. This method exploits the temporal sequence of the power system's operational data and develops an ‘end to end’ model employing Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) units working directly on the operational data instead of features. The temporal sequences are different in the case of normal and faulty conditions. End to end learning simplifies the decision-making process and eliminates the need for complex feature extraction process by learning directly from the labelled datasets. The method is rigorously tested for all types of faults, which are further subjected to a range of fault resistance, distance, loading conditions, system parameters and noise levels. The proposed method can also work under power swing conditions. The method is also tested on WSCC 9 bus system. The proposed method has shown fast response in terms of time performance and is resilient towards operational conditions.