Grid Monitor

Our client provided us with an outline of an idea for a system that would allow the early detection and localisation of faults on the 3-phase electricity grid. This involved placing current sensors on each phase and using the information gained from these to infer the ground leakage level in that section of cable.

substationThe project  provided many challenges in relation to the signal strength/phase and the means of powering the devices. Among the many other innovations we developed transducers that employed Fourier transforms to extract the tiny error signal from the mains current signal to give a reliable indication of the earth leakage component. We also developed special energy harvesting technology based on an amorphous metal cored current transformer to extract sufficient power from the mains cable to provide power to the unit.

An ISM wireless network allows many such units to communicate with a base station and the resulting data provides live cable quality data as well as fast localisation of faults.
Our client is now part of a world leader in the supply of electricity grid monitoring equipment.