New Synaptec platform
07/09/2020
Synaptec has launched a real-time data analytics platform that reveals previously hidden indicators about networks, enabling network operators and generators to effectively predict outages and reduce costs relating to operations and maintenance.The new software platform, called Synthesis, was developed by Steven Blair, Synaptec’s Head of Power System Technologies, in direct response to the pressing need for detailed visibility of electrical networks as they become increasingly complex.
Synthesis aims to build upon the capabilities of Synaptec’s distributed sensing hardware and is designed specifically to work with continuous point-on-wave (CPOW) data and cope with the visualisation and analytics needs of large-scale monitoring schemes.
To this end, it is being trialled with ORE Catapult and Innovate UK through their REACTION project. The software platform works by accessing multiple high-resolution data streams from Synaptec’s sensor platform to fully leverage the capabilities of the hardware. It supports any combination of electrical and mechanical sensors, visually summarises their outputs, shows measurements in a geographical context and securely archives important data.
Steven said: “This is a radical upgrade, even compared to synchrophasor-based monitoring. With Synthesis, we are able to aggregate both electrical and mechanical measurements within the same unified visualisation and analysis platform. The result is that, for the first time, the transmission and distribution sector can overcome the major challenges of cost-effective condition monitoring and prognostics.
“Synthesis automatically produces summarised data formats, such as synchrophasor outputs and power quality metrics. It also implements additional processing and analytics to extract everything possible from the detailed data to minimise the effort required by our customers to deal with this themselves. It means that operators are not overwhelmed with raw data points from CPOW monitoring.
“This is crucial, as the availability and processing of detailed data from multiple inputs enables greater possibilities for asset management and a definitive leap forward in the role of data in managing electrical networks and smart grids. We are able to monitor and visualise the status of power system assets (cables, circuit breakers, wind turbines and so on) with very detailed measurements at a high sampling rate.”
