Real-time monitoring
While supporting time-critical applications such as protection, our hardware and software platform also enables a wide range of additional applications which require real-time information, including visualisation, automation, alarms, and decision support.
Applications such as dynamic line rating (DLR) or real-time thermal rating (RTTR) can benefit from combined electrical and temperature instrumentation of power system assets. This capability will enable efficient electrical infrastructure use, while catering for the enormous growth of electric vehicles and low-carbon generation. We can provide spot temperature measurements of key system components such as cable terminations which are common thermal bottlenecks – yet are not directly monitored by conventional DTS approaches. Similarly, overhead line conductor sag and other disruptions can be determined using vibration and strain sensing. Alarms can be delivered to provide early warning of impending asset failures or other issues when measurements reach thresholds.
A high sampling rate, which is an inherent feature of Synaptec’s sensors, allows comprehensive observation of subsynchronous resonance (SSR) and other oscillations. This is especially important as the grid transitions to vastly increased connections of renewable energy sources and HVDC interconnectors, as their power electronic converter interfaces can initiate power oscillations. These events can have very disruptive effects, as was experienced in the GB grid on 9th August 2019, but are challenging to detect and diagnose. Synaptec our development partner visualisation and analysis tool, VisAn, provides near-instant access to accurate, time-synchronised data over a wide area of the power system, to perform analysis during and following such disturbances. This information is visualised clearly to support control room decisions.
Synchrophasor outputs are automatically calculated for every voltage and current sensor location. The Synthesis™ platform can also be used to perform fault characterisation, online supervision of protection operation, and power quality analysis. It can instantly correlate multiple indicators to pinpoint when and where events happen – using the same sensor infrastructure for multiple purposes.
For more information on this project, please contact us.
