Overhead Line Vibration Monitoring Phase 2

Completed

Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution)

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Project Contact
Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc (SHEPD)

Network Innovation Allowance

Ofgem

01 October 2015

01 July 2016

9 months

£380,000

Power

Scotland

Network Innovation Allowance

Project Contact, Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc (SHEPD)

Project Contact, Southern Electric Power Distribution plc (SEPD)

; To demonstrate that wire mounted sensors can sense and differentiate between wire strikes and wire sags, and other sources of conductor movement including e. g. wind, animal rubbing, birds perching and vehicles passing. ; To demonstrate that the information from the sensors can be used to discriminate between varying types of wire impacts, and reject false positives, e. g. heavy birds landing or colliding with the line. ; This project will try to establish if the prototype sensors can be self-powered using energy harvested off the line, are able to operate at voltages between 11kV and 70kV and that the associated server software is fit for purpose The project will be a success if it can demonstrate whether or not wire mounted sensors can be used to improve customer service by improving the management of contact with, and damage to, overhead lines and poles.

The Overhead Line (OHL) network is extensive across the two Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution (SSEPD) distribution licence areas, and is mainly in rural areas, where there is a lower density of population. The Lines are susceptible to damage, which causes a number of outages each year. The problem of severe weather is well known, but less obvious are the problems and damage that can be caused by every day events such as by farm animals leaning on poles or stays or from trees and other vegetation growing in close proximity, and falling onto the lines, or making fleeting contact with the overhead wires. There are areas of the country where farm and forestry work take place underneath lines, and these have resulted in contact with one or more of the conductors, causing the protection systems to trip, resulting in interruption of supply to customers. There is a need for Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) to be able to detect several OHL issues that do not necessarily cause an immediate customer Interruption, but would result in one in time; and DNOs need to try and identify whether a protection system trip is spurious, or an indication that something more serious is occurring. DNOs also have a licence obligation to ensure that each OHL they own maintains the clearances required by the ESQCRs (Electrical Safety, Quality, and Continuity Regulations). Wire mounted sensors will be deployed incorporating electronics for detecting change in angle, wire sag and impact of a wire strike. The sensors can be self-powered using energy harvested off the line, and will be able to operate at voltages between 11kV and 70kV. Data will be organized by server software and stored for analysis. The system will detect and analyse data from vibration and movement monitoring of overhead lines in a live high voltage environment. The project will complete development of an innovative new way of sensing that damage has occurred to the overhead line network, even though an outage has not occurred, using self-powered medium voltage sensors.Note : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above

17/09/18