Pull Intelligence From Underground Transformers and Dead Front Applications—Battery-free
To help utilities draw continuous, reliable, and actionable intelligence from assets previously cost-prohibitive to monitor, GridSense has developed a solution for maintenance-free, battery-free underground line monitoring.
Typically, transformer and switch monitors pull power from potential transformers or on-board batteries. This can be impractical or impossible with dead front or underground assets.
The New GridSense CT Power Supply
For a U.S. Department of Energy-funded project, GridSense has engineered a current transformer (CT) power supply for the TransformerIQ monitoring solution. The new power supply draws parasitically from insulated cables, allowing practical and maintenance-free monitoring of hard-to-reach distribution circuits.
Unlike battery-powered monitors that power-up only to signal a fault, the new power supply provides continuous data. Previously, you wouldn’t know if a battery-powered monitor had failed until a fault had occurred that monitor didn’t recognize. However, the GridSense CT power supply provides a steady stream of data; you’ll always know there’s a monitor at work. Maintenance free, ROI is quick and TCO low.
A New Way to Improve Network Reliability
This solution provides a cost-effective opportunity to enhance network performance. You can add intelligence at switch points and quickly isolate faulted line sections during outages. Adding fault detection on padmounts alone can significantly improve a utility’s Customer Average Interruption Duration (CAIDA) index score.
Features include:
- Reporting-by-exception of faults and outages
- Three phase load monitoring with additional feeder points
- Hourly average or RMS load recording
- Voltage & power factor alarming on surge/swell
- Magnitude and phase indication on faults > 2-cycle