Download Fault Level Monitor - SP Energy Networks

Fault Level Monitor
Objective
The safety of the transmission and distribution
networks depend on circuit breakers that interrupt
the supply to affected sections of the grid in the
case of a fault. The infrastructure must withstand
the currents that flow during the period before the
breakers isolate the circuit to prevent destructive failure.
Knowing this fault current is essential to ensure safety,
optimise investment in infrastructure and ensure
optimal operation.
Under this Innovation Funding Initiative (IFI) project, Outram
Research and SP Energy Networks are working together to
develop, test and validate an entirely original, commercially
viable solution to determine the peak fault current at any
voltage level by observing natural disturbances on the
network during normal operation.
What We Are Doing / Solution
Over the last two years SP Energy Networks and Outram Research Limited
have been working closely to develop a new algorithm to measure fault
current and have implemented this algorithm on the existing Outram
PM7000 hardware platform.
Following on from successful lab trial results the Outram Fault Level Monitor
(FLM) has been taken to field trial with SP Energy Networks deploying several
FLMs at different points of the network in England and Scotland.
The results achieved have been very encouraging and consistently within
5% of the values produced by advanced models, which is hugely impressive
considering that this is from current disturbances that introduce voltage
disturbances of as little as 0.2%.
The remaining time on the project will be spent validating the FLMs results
and the fine tuning of the algorithm and user interface.
Benefits
The fault level monitor has two immediate uses to Distribution Network Operators:
I. To validate and refine existing system analytical models by obtaining visibility of
actual system fault levels and contributions from customer equipment under a
wide range of real-world scenarios
II. The identification of the fault level in areas of network where network modelling
may be difficult or problematic, e.g. sections of the 11kV or Low Voltage
network.
The potential benefits associated with the above are as follows:
• The Health and Safety benefits of identifying and subsequently managing fault
level issues which were previously unknown due to inaccurate or non-existent
models.
• Operational benefits that are gained from the ability for optimal operation or
interconnection of the network which could be restricted due to a perceived
fault level issue.
• Financial rewards associated with an improved Regulatory Performance
rectifying fault level issues, e.g. removal of perceived fault level issues by
accurate monitoring as opposed to conventional equipment-based solutions.
• New Connection – the benefits associated with facilitating new network
connections which previously may have been problematic or financially
prohibitive due to modelling, scenario and data inaccuracies.
• Environmental benefits associated with the connection of renewable
generation as detailed above and the moth-balling of equipment ahead of its
end of life due to fault level upgrades.
• Further Innovation – up until now there has been no readily available and
deployable device for fault level measurement, as this device becomes adopted
there is huge potential for its integration and expansion into network
operations, e.g. as part of an Active Network Management scheme.
spenergynetworks.com/innovation
[email protected]