Sep 2019
Electricity Distribution
Automatic Location of Arc-faults through Remote Monitoring (ALARM)
Reference:
NIA_WPD_041
Status:
Live
Start Date:
Sep 2019
End Date:
May 2022
Funding Licencee(s):
Western Power Distribution
Contact:
Chris Harrap
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Funding Mechanism
Network Innovation Allowance
Research Area:
ED - New technologies and commercial evolution
Core Technology(ies):
Asset Management, Condition Monitoring, Fault Management, LV & 11kV Networks, Measurement, Network Monitoring and Substation Monitoring
Estimated Expenditure:
£493,000.00
Introduction:
The project will demonstrate an alternative approach to identifying the location of transient LV (pecking) faults
while the cable is in normal service, before they have developed to a permanent fault requiring immediate
location and repair. The project will achieve this by installing 26 newly developed monitoring devices at
selected sites in the East Midlands region, and assessing the effectiveness of the associated distance to fault calculation results on real networks in normal service.
Objectives:
1. Test the feasibility of a technical alternative and lower cost fault locating device.
2. Derive insight into the potential to more widely and cost-effectively deploy such monitoring equipment to feeders showing early indications damage (e.g. transient fuse operations).
Expected Benefits:
The project aims to provide non-financial benefits to customers through a reduction in the number of supply
interruptions due to transient fuse-operating faults, reducing customer inconvenience. These same avoided
interruptions also have a potential financial benefit for WPD through a reduction in the number (and associated cost) of fuse operation incidents, and also through the regulatory Interruption Incentive Scheme
(IIS). These potential financial benefits are balanced against the cost of purchasing and installing such
monitoring systems. For a five year period, considering the East Midlands region, the potential savings of a
successful lower cost monitoring system are modelled as £686,000.