Patent ID: 7755872

Claim:
A system for providing protection of a power line using a plurality of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), comprising: a local IED associated with a location of the power line, the local IED adapted to measure and transmit the current associated with the location of the local IED, a remote IED associated with a location of the power line, the remote IED adapted to measure and transmit the current associated with the location of the remote IED, a transfer IED in communication with the local and remote IEDs and adapted to receive the currents transmitted by the local and remote IEDs, said transfer IED further associated with a location of a second power line interconnected with the first power line, wherein said transfer IED calculates the sum of the currents associated with the location of the second power line and the currents received from the local and remote IEDs, a circuit breaker associated with the second power line, said circuit breaker adapted to isolate a location on the second power line, wherein the transfer IED is adapted to transmit the current measured by the transfer IED and the current measured by one of the remote IED and the local IED to the other of the remote IED and the local IED, and wherein when the sum of the currents is not equal to about zero amperes, the transfer IED transmits a signal to cause tripping of the circuit breaker, thereby isolating the location of the second power line associated with the transfer IED.