Critical Infrastructures

«Overestimating what exists is followed by underestimating the risks» – (Dunning-Kruger effect, Cornell University)

Low grid utilisation, redispatch and urgent grid expansion due to lack of transparency:

Risk of a power outage and damage size:

Risk is defined as probability of occurrence times extent of damage.
The Swiss FOCP (Federal Office for Civil Protection) estimates the risk of a power blackout in Switzerland as very high. The probability of occurrence is 30 years, the extent of damage between 0,6 and 4 billion CHF/day. On a worldwide scale the numbers would tend to 500 billion EUR/day.
Source: FOCP 2020

Concrete network outages:

  • October 2018: Albula line in Switzerland, ice load and wind, 4 downed poles, 3 months repair time
  • November 2006: Weener on the Ems, planned line shutdown, splitting of the European grid into 3 zones, 10 million households affected
  • November 2005: Münsterland, snow load and wind, downed pylons, 4-day power blackout, 100 million damage
  • June 2005: Swiss Railway SBB, planned line shutdown Amsteg-Steinen, protective shutdown due to overload
  • Sep 2003: Lukmanier line in Switzerland, tree falls on line, blackout in Italy
    Source: https://transparency.entsoe.eu/outage-domain/r2/unavailabilityInTransmissionGrid/show

Sabotage and wilfulness:

  • August 2022: 16-year-old knocks down high-voltage pylon with tractor in Weilerswist, North Rhine-Westphalia; power blackout affects 65,000 people
  • June 2020: blast attack on a power pole in Gland/VD Switzerland
  • March 2019: Fallen electricity pylon in Lustadt (Rhineland-Palatinate)
  • April 1995: Failed attack in Ebergassing (Lower Austria)

Lack of condition-based maintenance, costly annual drone flights:

• In the past: binoculars and dangerous inspections every 2 years
• Today: costly drones every year
• Tomorrow: transparent information every second

Solution

"He who does what he does with advice, seldom regrets his deed" - (Thomas von Zerklaere)
"We speak pylonian" - (Swissgrid)

Distributed multi-sensor real-time monitoring platform

Power-Grid-Navigator is a distributed, modular multi-sensor real-time monitoring platform for power grids,
which

  • creates transparency,
  • enables the maximum utilisation of the grid (ampacity, Dynamic Line Rating DLR),
  • detects temperature-hotspots section by section and
  • alerts accordingly,
  • can be installed and de-installed under voltage,
  • does not touch the power conductors (non-invasive) and
  • is open to other providers as a platform.

Benefits and sensors:

  • Dynamic Line Rating DLR, Ampacity, weatherdependant overhead line operation:
    Conductor temperature measurement with various sensors (since Rel.2)
    Air temperature and humidity measurement
  • Sag, strain (tortion, tension), ice load, tree growth, entangled objects:
    Optical camera (since Rel.2)
  • Sabotage, Landslide, Aeolian Vibrations, Subspan Oszillations:
    3D acceleration sensor (optional)
  • Digital inspection, asset performance management (aging, soiling, dry band arcing, corona noise etc.):
    Magnetic field sensor (optional)
    Microphone (optional)
  • View to pylons under maintenance, risk of "left/right" confusion (SUVA):
    Optical camera (since Rel.2)

Global Patent: The Hague, filed 21 February 2022

References

"Future needs origin" - (Odo Marquard)

PRIMEO ENERGIE - Pilot test high voltage:

Pilot installation (Rel.2) in the 50 kV / 20 kV grid of PRIMEO Netz AG (DIN ISO 16290 TRL 6).
The oversized PV power supply will be significantly smaller in Rel.3.

The central control box contains:

- multiple cameras in multiple spectra to calibrate measurement and determine rope temperature
- Outdoor temperature sensor
- Humidity sensor
- 3D acceleration sensor for detection of aeolian vibrations, subspan oszillations, sabotage and ice load

Furthermore the central box consolidates the magnetic field (optional) and microphone signals (optional) from the isolator.
All datas are being transmitted encrypted via the public mobile network to a cloud.
There, the data is analysed with classical, spectral as well as AI instruments and acted upon accordingly.

The system can be installed as well as de-installed under voltage (USP).
Furthermore the measurement is non-invasive, there is no contact with the conductor (USP).

System-Partner

We work together with the following system partner:

Supercomputing Systems SCS, Technopark Zürich

The following organisations and personalities have thankfully reflected our approach, both strategically and operationally:

  • Centre suisse d'électronique et de microtechnique, Neuchâtel

  • GradeSens, Fribourg

  • LeanBI, Bern

  • Innosuisse, Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft

  • Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations ESTI

  • SUVA Swiss Accident Insurance Fund

  • European Patent Office EPO, Den Haag

  • Eidgenössische Institut für Geistiges Eigentum IGE, Bern

  • Zürcher Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften ZHAW - School of Engineering - IEFE Energiespeicher und -netze

  • Hochschule Luzern HSLU - Institut für Innovation und Technologiemanagement IIT

  • ETH Zürich - High Voltage Laboratory HVL

  • Universita degli studi di Napoli Federico II - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica e delle Tecnologie dell Informazione

  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE

  • Ph.D. Ayman EL-HAG, Senior Member IEEE, University of Waterloo, Canada

  • Dr. Nisheet SINGH, Fellow IEEE, Swissgrid

  • Dr. Andreas BEER, Alevar, Repower

Contact

"Everything only goes well if you do it together" - (Erika Pluhar)

Contact for grid operators (TSOs, DSOs):
olivier.barthe@powergridnav.com

Contact for investors:
martin.heuschkel@powergridnav.com

Advisory board:
François Stieger