Introduction: In order to ensure that National Grid manages its assets as effectively and efficiently as possible it is important that the business enters a regime of proactive asset management where appropriate. Large scale integrated condition monitoring of transmission assets will allow failures to be predicted and/or mitigated, maintenance to be planned more efficiently and will improve the safety of staff by providing up to date knowledge of the condition of assets to which they are within a close proximity.

Objectives: This research and development programme covers the area of Smart Asset Management (SAM) and involves extensive research into condition monitoring, data analysis and data collection techniques.

The purpose of SAM is to provide National Grid with safer, more efficient systems that will allow improved planning of maintenance and greater real time knowledge of asset conditions.

Research is being carried out on methods for condition monitoring and methods of data collection and visualisation for a wide range of transmission assets.