DataWeek 2013 Conference & Festival

Smart meters may be the most visible element of the smart grid, but how smart can the grid be if the rest of the infrastructure is dumb and can’t keep up? Achieving a truly smart grid is not just about deploying smart meters. 

A smarter approach to the care and feeding of the aging electrical infrastructure is key to keeping the power flowing. As power consumption continues to grow an average 3-5% per year globally, the average age of a power transformer in the U.S. is 30-40 years. Many transformers are facing end-of-life issues. 

The nuclear industry focuses on PLEX – Plant Life Extension. In the transmission and distribution segment, it’s all about SLEXTM – Substation Life Extension. 

Sensors connected to software that continuously gather, visualize and analyze data can help energy producers extend the life of aging substation assets by monitoring both interior and exterior conditions, then analyzing data in real time to produce actionable insights.

While DGA (dissolved gas analysis) systems monitor transformers internally, online thermal imaging cameras that feed data 24/7 to analytics software are an effective, non-intrusive diagnostic tool for the exterior of the transformer and substation. Other sensor devices, including fiber optics to measure winding hot spot temperatures and various combinations of pyrometers, partial discharge monitors and infrared imaging, are critical elements to ascertain the health of T&D assets. 

A single infrared camera produces 300 megabytes of data every second. When combined with other sensors, that’s some Big Data! 
Substation and asset managers need smarter ways to collect and analyze massive amounts of information and keep assets running smoothly.

This session will look at sensor and software analytics technologies, designs and strategies that utility operators can deploy to enable SLEX and keep the grid running strong and will explore: 

How can utilities get the information needed to continuously monitor the health of transformers and other energy infrastructure assets? 

How can industrial-scale Big Data and analytics be deployed to visualize real-time conditions from multiple control points in the utility industry? How can operators be sure that information is reliable? 

How can utilities analyze massive amounts of sensor data to gain actionable insights and extend the life of their T&D assets?