Fault Analysis Questions and Answers for Viva

Answer-1: Fault analysis is the process of identifying, diagnosing, and resolving faults or abnormalities in a system, equipment, or process.

Answer-2: Common types of faults include short circuits, open circuits, ground faults, and insulation faults.

Answer-3: The open circuit fault happens due to the failure of one or two conductors. These faults take place in series with the line so referred as series fault. Such types of faults have a strong impact on the reliability of the system. The open circuit fault is classified as: Open Conductor Fault, Two conductors Open Fault, Three conductors Open Fault.

Answer-4: A short circuit fault occurs when two conductors with different potentials come into direct contact, causing excessive current flow. It can be identified by abnormal voltage readings, overheating, or tripping of protective devices.

Answer-5: A ground fault occurs when a live conductor comes into contact with the ground or a grounded surface. This can result in excessive current flow and poses a risk of electric shock.

Answer-6: Insulation faults occur when there is a breakdown or deterioration of insulation material, leading to unintended contact between conductors. They can be detected using insulation resistance tests or by monitoring leakage currents.

Answer-7: Common methods include visual inspection, voltage and current measurements, insulation resistance testing, thermal imaging, and use of diagnostic equipment such as fault locators.

Answer-8: Fault location is essential for identifying the precise location of a fault within a system or circuit, allowing for targeted repairs and minimizing downtime.

Answer-9: Periodic maintenance helps identify and address potential faults before they escalate into major problems, minimizing downtime and preventing equipment damage or failure.

Answer-10: Thermal imaging allows technicians to detect hotspots caused by abnormal resistance or current flow, indicating potential faults such as loose connections or overloaded circuits.

Answer-11: A transient fault is temporary and typically resolves on its own, whereas a permanent fault requires intervention to restore normal operation.

Answer-12: Fault tolerance refers to a system's ability to continue operating properly in the presence of faults or failures. It often involves redundancy and backup systems to ensure continuity of operation.

Answer-13: Undetected faults can lead to equipment damage, production downtime, safety hazards, and financial losses due to repair costs and lost productivity.

Answer-14: Frequency analysis involves monitoring the vibration or sound frequency of machinery to detect abnormal patterns associated with faults such as bearing wear, misalignment, or imbalance.

Answer-15: Fault tree analysis is a systematic method for identifying and analyzing the root causes of faults or failures within a system, helping to understand the relationships between different events and factors leading to the fault.

Answer-16: Preventive measures include regular inspection and maintenance, proper installation and grounding, use of protective devices such as circuit breakers and surge protectors, and employee training on safety protocols.

Answer-17: There are four main reasons of power system faults: Weather conditions, Equipment failures, Human errors and smoke of fires.

Answer-18: The weather factors that typically cause power system faults are: lightning strikes, accumulation of snow on transmission lines, heavy rains, high speed winds, earthquake, salt pollution depositing on overhead lines and conductors, floods and fires adjacent to electrical instrument, etc. These environmental conditions interrupt the power supply and also damage electrical installations.

Answer-19: Electrical faults are also caused due to human errors like choosing improper rating of equipment or devices, forgetting metallic or electrical conducting components once coupling or maintenance, switching the circuit while its below servicing, etc. A classic example is one wherever maintenance staffs unwittingly leave isolated instrument connected through safety earth clamps once maintenance work is completed.