Transmission and distribution
Providing electricity without interruption to a growing market is a challenge for power engineers.
The real challenge is to meet the growing energy demand whilst maximizing cable capacity, minimising costs, environmental effects, and embracing the requirements of this dynamic industry where the life span of an asset may be in excess of 40 years.
The energy industry was the first to recognise the benefits of distributed temperature monitoring using optical fiber, which is ideal for buried cables and overhead lines because the fiber sensor placed close to the energy cable monitor the thermal resistivity of the backfill while being insensitive to electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Long Range distributed temperature monitoring solution
The benefits of energy cables monitoring are:
- Hot spot detection and localization - A reliable way to monitor the condition of an energy cable, since a temperature increase may indicate a breakdown in insulation, or change in the operating environment of the cable.
- Comparison and benchmarking - A circuit management input by comparing load to temperature changes, and actual temperature compared to theoretical.
- The ability to postpone investment in the circuit, since if the temperature of the cable is known in relation to load, maintenance or replacement can be scheduled according to actual cable behaviour, rather than the predicted replacement date, which is usually sooner.
- Very long distance coverage with meter spatial resolution compatible with long distance transmission cables.
- Manage overload operation , determine circuit rating and control cooling systems
- Maximise power capacity.
