Power line monitoring on the move
23/08/2018
In the Northern hemisphere, November through to March is a particularly testing time for any energy supplier. Electrical load is at its highest and the likelihood of a breakdown is far greater, so the quick and efficient detection of faulty power lines and connections is vital. For many utility companies, thermal imaging has significantly boosted the ability to prevent failures. Indeed, for the Mason Public Utility District (PUD 3), in Washington State, USA, investment in the latest FLIR thermal imaging camera means that operators can scan for problems from a moving vehicle.“We drive down the road and one of us scans out of the window with our FLIR T-Series camera to spot check. If we see something, we get out and carry out a full analysis,” explained Chris Jorgensen, PUD 3. “Before we started using thermal imaging in 2001 there was no way to carry out preventative maintenance: equipment failed; we went out and fixed it. Now, my work is like hunting; we scan every line and every piece of equipment looking for potential problems.”
The FLIR T500 Series has been designed for comfortable, continuous operation. Its hallmark feature is a 180° rotating optical block that allows the thermographer to image with ease at any angle. High-quality imaging is assured through FLIR’s Vision Processing™ technology, which combines proprietary adaptive filtering with MSX® multi-spectral imaging and UltraMax® image enhancement. Complementing this is 1-Touch level and span, which enables the thermographer to adjust the contrast on the image so that the target stands out against the background; a very useful tool when scanning power generation equipment.PUD 3’s investment in this model has helped the company find problems on cut-outs, substation getaway structures and poor or failed connections, and is even used for checking the integrity of constructions. Indeed, it has been responsible for huge cost savings on damage prevention and for underpinning the company’s reputation for good service.
A typical example is the discovery of a failing bushing on top of a regulator on a substation C-phase circuit. If this had remained undetected, the estimated cost of the damage would have been the equivalent of £28,000 and the failure would have deprived around 3000 customers of electricity. The company cites many similar examples with problem components such as hot taps, gang-operated switches and dead-end bells. The cost savings involved in preventing the failure of these structures far outweigh the cost of the thermal imaging investment.
PUD 3 monitors its loads with SCADA data acquisition software to determine what is under greater stress; this analysis informs the subsequent survey. Findings from the FLIR T-Series camera then allow engineers to grade the severity of the fault and schedule repairs.
“Thermal imaging really allows us to see what the naked eye cannot. It gives us great satisfaction when an imminent equipment failure is found and repaired before it causes an outage,” Chris Jorgensen concluded.
www.flir.co.uk
