Ensuring Ongoing Performance - What’s Needed to Configure Visual & Thermal Monitoring Solutions?

Continuous monitoring provides utilities with an early warning system to detect potential faults or issues before a serious failure occurs.

Instead of relying solely on physical inspections, the Operations & Maintenance team can monitor high-value and critical assets across multiple substations and remote locations.

Utility-grade visual and thermal sensors are easy to procure, install, and use. But to ensure optimal performance, the system needs to be properly commissioned and configured before delivering data to users.

From the initial design to the testing and troubleshooting of the deployment, the Systems With Intelligence team will work closely with the utility to ensure it can achieve the full benefits of the new solution.

Designing the System

Each substation is different, meaning there is no one-size-fits-all approach to implementing a continuous monitoring solution. The type, number, and location of sensors depends on the assets being monitored, the project budget, and the goals of the utility.

Using detailed 3D models based on design drawings or satellite imagery of the substation, the Systems With Intelligence team can determine the ideal position of sensors and ensure they have a clear field of view to provide the utility with the right data.

From there, the sensors can be procured and installed, either by an internal construction team or a third-party contractor.

Commissioning and Configuring the Sensors 

The commissioning and configuration phase is needed to ensure the system works properly and provides accurate and relevant data to users.

This process can be complex and requires some specialized expertise, so the Systems With Intelligence team will travel to the site to complete the configuration. Multiple departments from the utility may also be involved at this stage, including the IT department to provide access to the network, the construction group to provide access to the site, and the Operations & Maintenance team to review the initial data.

Configuration typically takes between three and five days depending on the size of the facility, the number of assets being monitored, and the number of sensors. Training is conducted throughout the process to ensure that the users can operate the system and have access to the specific data they need for their role.

Setting Alarm Conditions

One of the most important elements of the configuration process is setting the alarm conditions for each asset.

Alarm conditions are based on temperature differential rather than absolute temperature. This is because the safe operating temperature of a component can vary depending on external conditions such as demand, load, and weather.

An alarm is only triggered when the component temperatures vary from each other by a set amount. For example, if Phase A of a transformer is measured at a significantly higher temperature than Phase B and C, an alarm is automatically triggered and a notification is sent to the Operations & Maintenance team.

When available, these temperature variations will be based on the utility’s internal standards. In cases where standards are not available, the Systems With Intelligence team will create guidelines based on existing best practices.

Each asset will have its own unique alarm conditions based on its sensitivity to temperature fluctuations. Alarm conditions are set to trigger before the point of failure to provide early detection and warning so that the utility can take action before a malfunction occurs.

Testing and Optimizing Performance 

The system should be left to run in a test mode to ensure that everything is working as expected before going online. This test period should generally last between two weeks and one month depending on the size and complexity of the system. 

Beyond allowing for basic troubleshooting and fine-tuning, the test period also makes it possible to run the system under different conditions and variables and make adjustments if required. For example, sunlight can reflect into the sensor and trigger a false alarm. In these cases, a simple solution is to paint over the surface in question, to prevent the reflection in the first place.

Ongoing Maintenance 

Once operational, the system typically requires very little maintenance and attention. The utility-grade sensors have been designed to operate safely within the substation environment and can withstand electromagnetic interference, voltage surges, and severe weather for up to ten years.

Basic maintenance may be needed from time to time to ensure performance. In dusty locations, sensors and lenses may need to be cleaned for dirt and debris to ensure a clear view.

Other times, issues may only occur under specific conditions that are difficult to predict during the configuration stage.

For example, a sensor’s field of view may be impacted by a winter storm, or a camera may need to be realigned if the ground under the pole shifts during a spring thaw. These are typically minor issues that require only minor adjustments to the sensors to regain full performance. 

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