Electric Substation Monitoring

F L I R S o l u t i o n S e ri e s
Electric Substation Monitoring
Electric power utilities are faced with an aging infrastructure,

frequent blackouts or brownouts, costly unplanned maintenance,
security threats to remote facilities, and rising costs. As part of a
government/industry initiative, utilities are looking for ways to
address these issues that will improve the reliability of electric
power delivery while reducing costs. FLIR is participating in these
efforts by working with various partners and utilities to improve
the monitoring of power distribution substations. Through the
use of FLIR’s “smart” infrared cameras and automation software,
impending equipment failures and security breaches can be
detected anytime, day or night, at a remote monitoring location.
The net effect is increased reliability and reduced cost.
Early Warning of substation problems

• Remote monitoring of critical substation components
• Helps increase reliability without adding personnel
• Ethernet and wireless connections to a central control room
• See intrusions with live images on TV or PC monitor
• Obtain temperature readouts of overheating
• Spot nonfunctioning equipment with low temperatures
• Instantly trigger audible and visual alarms
• Notify management via email and intranet connections
• Works day or night in any weather – 24/7 operation
This publication is one of the FLIR Solution Series that describes important applications
for IR camera systems. This Series is designed to show our customers how FLIR systems
can be used to help reduce costs by protecting their assets, improving production automation
and machine vision processes, and increasing the value of their predictive/preventative
maintenance operations. The images, case histories, and system designs described in this
Series are merely examples of the many possibilities available to users of FLIR IR cameras.
Your feedback on the Series will be sincerely appreciated; you can respond by email to
moreinfo@flir.com, by telephone to 800.464.6372, or by letter to FLIR Systems, Inc.
25 Esquire Rd. North Billerica, MA 01826.
1
Failure Cause and Effect share a common goal of increasing productivity. For example, one large US
the reliability and cost effectiveness of utility discovered a hot bushing rod in a
Blackouts and brownouts are increasing our power grid. A principal objective is substation transformer and repaired it at
on the US power distribution grid due to enable a smarter, more secure grid a cost of only $16,000. A similar problem
to its aging infrastructure, and a lack by employing innovative technology that occurred before the firm instituted
of automation systems that reveal and equipment across a wide range of its IR program resulted in a catastrophic
what is occurring at substations and applications and enterprises. failure that cost more than $3,000,000.
elsewhere on the grid. For example,
transformer and insulator fluid leaks FLIR is working with its partners and A few substation components whose
cause overheating that leads to failures, electric utilities to apply infrared (IR) thermal signatures are precursors to
but many utilities don’t have automated imaging technology to improve the failure include:
thermal detection systems that reveal reliability and security of electric • Power transformers (oil levels
these problems. In addition, the remote substations. Although power utilities and pump operation)
locations of many substations make have for many years used handheld • Load tap changers (oil levels,
them vulnerable to security breaches, IR cameras to monitor substation other internal problems)
which can be detected with automated equipment, they are now turning to • Insulator bushings (oil levels and
infrared imaging systems. bad connections)
permanently installed camera systems.
• Standoff insulators (moisture,
Through the use of automated IR camera contamination, degradation)
Whatever the cause, a critical substation and innovative software, FLIR and its • Lightning arrestors (degradation
failure may cascade into series of failures, partners have developed monitoring of metal oxide disks)
which was the case in the Northeast systems that provide early warning • Circuit breakers (oil or SF6 leakage)
blackout of 2003, the largest in US of impending equipment failures and • Mechanical disconnects (bad
history. The result was a massive failure security breaches. connections, contamination)
of regional banking facilities, security • Control cabinets (wear and tear on
systems, manufacturing plants, food fans, pumps, and other components)
refrigeration, communication networks,
and traffic control systems. Of course,
the electric utilities involved lost huge
amounts of revenue and incurred
enormous costs in getting their systems
up and running again. The economic
impact is thought to have exceeded
$6 billion in the region.
Smart Grid Initiative

To help modernize our electric power
grid, the US Department of Energy
(DOE) is establishing partnerships
with public and private organizations
that understand the need for new
technology and operational methods. These systems employ advanced sensing Detection of temperature increases
These organizations include the and measurement technology, control in these components with IR cameras
GridWise Alliance, National Institute of methods, and digital communications allows preventative maintenance
Standards and Technology (NIST), US that are becoming part of the Smart operations before an unplanned outage
Department of Commerce, American Grid system. They are able to anticipate, occurs due to outright failure.
National Standards Institute (ANSI), detect, and respond rapidly to problems,
Institute of Electrical and Electronics thereby reducing maintenance costs,
Engineers (IEEE), and many others that the chance of failure, a blackout, and lost 2
Principles of IR Sensing focal length lenses, they can be placed

wherever required. Therefore, they Typical System Configurations
The first principle of IR sensing is “most support 24/7 monitoring in all types of
components heat up before they blow weather and locations. FLIR partners with system integrators to
up”. Second, all objects emit thermal create customized thermal imaging and
radiation in the infrared spectrum that FLIR IR cameras recognize differences non-contact temperature measurement
is not seen by the human eye. Third, in the heat signatures of electrical systems for power substations. For
IR cameras convert that radiation to components and the surrounding instance, FLIR supplies IR cameras
visual images that are calibrated to a background (such as the sky or clouds), to Pivotal Vision, LLC (Minneapolis)
temperature scale. This non-contact and can compare the temperatures of for substation monitoring and other
temperature data can be displayed on a similar components in close proximity applications. Pivotal Vision integrates the
monitor in real time, and can also be sent to one another. Built-in logic, memory, FLIR cameras with its pan/tilt housings,
to a digital storage device for analysis. and data communications allow them automation equipment, and software
Measurement accuracy is typically ±2°C. to compare the temperatures in their to create the firm’s ScadaCam Intelligent
Surveillance systems. These systems
can automatically perform site patrols,
monitor equipment temperatures, and
scan for security breaches without
human supervision. The video images
and their temperature data are carried
over Ethernet, wireless, or fiberoptic
cables to an appropriate interface that
communicates this data to the central
monitoring location. Fiberoptic links
are particularly useful in minimizing
electrical signal noise associated with
substations.
The diagram on the following page

depicts a typical substation monitoring
system that uses the FLIR A-320 cameras,
plus visible light cameras for certain
intrusion monitoring applications. A
system of this type has been installed at
one of Xcel Energy’s “Substations of the
Future” in Minnesota. The most advanced
versions of these systems provide time-
stamped 3-D thermal modeling of critical
IR video cameras do not require lighting images with user-defined settings, and equipment and areas, plus intrusion
to produce their images, and can see hot send that data to a central monitoring monitoring with motion detection
spots well before excessive heat or loss station for trend analysis, triggering features. This is just one of many IR
of insulation leads to failure. They can alarms, and generating exception reports. camera system arrangements that can be
see through moisture in the air to obtain They can even notify facility managers in used by electric utilities to join the Smart
good images and relative temperature remote offices of abnormal conditions by Grid movement.
readings of target objects or monitored triggering an email message. This makes
areas. They can be mounted in all- them ideal for unattended monitoring of
weather housings and placed on pan/ substation equipment, and detection of
tilt drive mechanisms to survey large unauthorized intruders.
areas of a substation. With different 3
New Graphic
WE KNOW INFRARED. LIKE NOBODY ELSE.
FLIR invented the infrared camera industry as we now know it. We brought the first commercial IR camera to market in the 1960s
and have piled up more industry firsts in thermal imaging than anyone. Today we are the only global company totally dedicated to
finding and fixing thermal problems through IR imaging systems. Our company’s mission is to provide the most innovative systems
available, with the highest possible quality, and show thermography practitioners how to get the most out of them. Our goals,
now and in the future, are to provide greater insight into all types of thermal phenomena, and help our customers save money by
applying this knowledge. This is supported by the most comprehensive and respected training courses in the industry.
FLIR’s ‘smart’ IR cameras are used in basic research, non-destructive testing, product development, factory automation, equipment
and building maintenance, asset protection, medical diagnostics, public safety, national defense, and a host of other applications. No
other company offers the breadth of thermal imaging/temperature monitoring products supplied by FLIR, and none is as dedicated
to technical excellence as our 350+ engineers. Within the past three years alone, FLIR has spent more than $230 million on R&D. Our
customers are the primary beneficiaries of this investment, enjoying an ROI that amounts to millions of dollars a year in direct savings
from operating efficiencies and loss avoidance. As a result of this leadership, FLIR is the most trusted name in the industry.
For more information:

Call: 1 800 464 6372
Web: goinfrared.com 4

Electric Substation Monitoring

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Electric Substation Monitoring

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Electric Substation Monitoring

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

F L I R S o l u t i o n S e ri e s