Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | NIA_NGET0147 | |
| Title | Condition Monitoring of Power Assets (COMPASS) | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution) 100%; | |
| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 100% | |
| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given National Grid Electricity Transmission |
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| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 October 2014 | |
| End Date | 01 January 2016 | |
| Duration | 17 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £540,000 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Power | |
| Region | London | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , National Grid Electricity Transmission (100.000%) |
| Web Site | http://www.smarternetworks.org/project/NIA_NGET0147 |
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| Objectives | The main objective is to develop a novel condition monitoring tool integrating various technologies and automating the process so as to provide more efficient substation surveying and reduce the possibility of errors at the time of analysis and tagging results to particular assets. The project will be evaluated on the following criteria: Better understanding of high value benefit areas for follow up development Delivery of de-risked prototype systems: A standalone 3-D location system with automatic camera tracking capability and an autonomous, hand-held surveying tool Successful evaluation of capabilities and limitations of solutions and R&D technology Successful integration of solutions into quickly deployable and intrinsically safe monitoring systems and associated data processing system. | |
| Abstract | The challenge dealt with in this proposal arises as a result of an increasingly ageing fleet of assets on the system and their replacement with novel equipment from new-entry suppliers. Large parts of the Electricity Transmission network were constructed between the 1950’s and 1970’s. The conventional approach to maintaining the reliability of the transmission system as equipment reaches the end of its designed operational life is to remove them completely and replace them on a new for old basis. Some of these low-cost replacement options nowadays come from new, inexperienced markets. Although replacement will continue to be the most appropriate solution in some cases, National Grid has been increasingly adopting alternatives including refurbishment and managed life extension accompanied by enhanced monitoring and maintenance regimes to manage risks. Fundamental to making the best decisions about which option to adopt is reliable, objective and evidence based information about the condition and therefore potential remaining operational capability of the transmission assets. Whilst National Grid Electricity Transmission has a very good understanding of the characteristics of the transmission asset fleet, significantly aged assets alongside new, untested ones carry with them a greater level of uncertainty and risk requiring an increased amount of testing, monitoring and maintenance. This has led to an increased demand for quicker, more informed and quantitative decisions about asset condition. In parallel, technological capabilities are increasing at an exponential rate with a growing number of systems entering the market and very little published evidence of the comparative performance between them as well as a lack of clarity about which technologies work under what conditions, or perhaps more importantly which ones don’t work reliably under certain conditions. By developing a body of evidence about what diagnostic technologies are available and how well they perform, Utilities will be able to make informed decisions in order to implement the most optimised solution. It is also foreseen that incorporating these technologies, not as isolated solutions, but integrated as part of business processes will enable better implementation and allow future enhancements to be identified. This full integration of systems and technologies has the potential to reduce the lead-time for the introduction of individual technologies and is likely to lead to greater overall benefit. This strand of the overall COMPASS strategy will develop integrated, autonomous surveying radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) tools capable of simultaneously monitoring both variables and tagging the output to individual assets. Research, Development and Demonstration The method proposed is divided into six distinct phases: 1. Development of prototype systems capable of integrating RF and IR diagnostic technologies and visualising their output. 2. Development of improved algorithms with confidence metrics for both detection and location to allow a better understanding of the information and data obtained. 3. Research and development of a data and information gateway to allow standardisation. 4. Development of data and information standards for data collection, processing and visualisation. 5. Testing and analysis of novel autonomous technologies including various location tagging possibilities. 6. Development of procedures and technical guidance notes to allow these new methods to be incorporated into business as usual.Note : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 09/08/18 | |
