2.  SENSORS FOR REAL-TIME MONITORING OF TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION LINES

 

The “National Transmission Grid Study” discusses the use of advanced technologies to enhance performance of the nation’s electricity delivery system.  Today’s system benefits from the countless technological innovations that have lowered costs and increased reliability.  However, many more innovations are not being utilized because their pathway to market is blocked by uncertainties.  This topic seeks to develop low cost sensors for the real-time monitoring of transmission and distribution lines.  To assure that these technologies can obtain commercial viability, grant applications should also address the manufacturing of proposed components, so that costs can be reduced without sacrificing product reliability or function.  Grant applications are sought in the following subtopic:

 

a. Low-Cost Sensors for Real-Time Monitoring of Transmission and Distribution Lines—Extracting maximum performance from overhead transmission line conductors or underground cables requires knowledge of the existing conditions at all sections of the line.  For example, consider the case of an overhead conductor – the wind speed, ambient air temperature, and solar insolation can vary from span to span and dramatically impact line capacity.  In establishing loading limits, system operators typically assume worst-case conditions; therefore, reduced line loading must be accepted, even when actual conditions do not merit such reductions.  Because real-time sensors and monitoring systems are relatively expensive, few transmission lines or underground cables utilize dynamic ratings based upon existing conditions.  The installation of low-cost, reliable, robust sensors to monitor conditions in real-time could release additional capacity, and improve the reliability and economic efficiency of the nation’s transmission and distribution corridors.

 

Grant applications are sought to develop and implement low-cost sensors for the real-time monitoring of system conditions.  Measurement parameters could include conductor temperatures, voltages, current amplitudes and waveforms, and power flows, as well as inclination in the case of overhead line monitoring.  Sensors should be capable of easy installation in a non-invasive manner and be able to communicate data with minimal additional cost or hardware.  Grant applications must address:  (1) how the particular conditions to be monitored will enable more efficient operation (i.e. closer to actual safety limits), while still maintaining system reliability; (2) issues of sensor locations and spacing, scalability of a network of sensors, measurement uncertainties, data resolution, means of communication, and power requirements for long-term monitoring; and (3) manufacturing issues, to assure that the sensors can be produced at low cost. 

 

References:

 

  1. “National Transmission Grid Study,” pp. 45, 61-6, U.S. Department of Energy, May 2002, 7. (Available at:  http://www.ntgs.doe.gov.  To view document click on “Secretary Abraham Releases NTGS Report”) (Copies of pages 45 and 61-67 also available from Gilbert Bindewald.  Email:  gilbert.bindewald@hq.doe.gov)

  1. “National Transmission Grid Study Issue Papers: Advanced Transmission Technologies,” page F-1, U.S. Department of Energy, May 2002.  (Available at:  http://www.ntgs.doe.gov) (Copies of page F-1 also available from Gilbert Bindewald.  Email:  gilbert.bindewald@hq.doe.gov)

  1. “Final Report on the August 14, 2003 Blackout in the United States and Canada : Causes and Recommendations”, Recommendations 13 and 28. U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force, April 2004.  (Available at:  http://reports.energy.gov) (Copies of Recommendations 13 and 28 also available from Gilbert Bindewald.  Email:  gilbert.bindewald@hq.doe.gov)

  1. Douglass, D. A., et al., “IEEE’S Approach for Increasing Transmission Line Ratings in North America ,” CIGRE 2000:  38th Session of the International Conference on Large High-Voltage Electric Systems (CIGRE), Paris , Aug. 27–Sept. 1, 2000.  (Available at:  http://www.cat-1.com/files/papers/CIGRE/2000/IEEEApprchforIncrsRatngs.pdf)

  1. Engelhardt, J. S. and Basu, S. P., “Design, Installation, and Field Experience with an Overhead Transmission Dynamic Line Rating System,” Proceedings of the 1996 IEEE Power Engineering Society Transmission and Distribution Conference, Los Angeles , CA , September 15-20, 1996 , pp. 366–370, 1996.  (ISBN: 0780335228)

  1. Seppa, T. O., “Increasing Transmission Capacity by Real-Time Monitoring,” 2002 IEEE Power Engineering Society Winter Meeting:  Conference Proceedings, New York , NY , January 27-31, 2002 , 2:1208-1211, 2002.  (ISBN:  0780373235)

  1. Development of a Real-Time Monitoring/Dynamic Rating System for Overhead Lines, prepared by EDM International, Inc. for California Energy Commission, Public Interest Energy Research Program (PIER), December 2003.  (PIER Publication No. 500-04-003) (Available at:  http://www.energy.ca.gov/reports/2004-04-02_500-04-003.PDF, or http://www.energy.ca.gov/pier/reports/500-04-003.html)

  2. Olsen R. G. and Edwards, K. S., “A New Method for Real-Time Monitoring of High-Voltage Transmission-Line Conductor Sag,” IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 17(4):1142–1152, October 2002.  (ISSN: 0885-8977)

  1. Mensah-Bonsu C., et al., “Application of the Global Positioning System to the Measurement of Overhead Power Transmission Conductor Sag,” IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 17(1):273-278, January 2002.  (ISSN: 0885-8977)

  1. Moore, P. J. and Grace, D. B., “Remote Sensing of Overhead Line Conductor Temperature Using an Infra-Red Sensor,” Proceedings of APSCOM-00:  5th International Conference on Advances in Power System Control, Operation and Management, Hong Kong, Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2000, 2:385-389.  (ISBN: 0852967918)  


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