Airport, UK – Asset Monitoring
21 / 12 / 18
How IPEC secured the power in a UK airport to prevent delays…
In 2018, following a recent high-voltage failure, IPEC were tasked with finding a condition-monitoring solution at an airport in London (UK). Hundreds of thousands of customers pass through the airport each day, making it one of the busiest airports in the world. Due to the major disruption and cost implications associated with power failures on critical infrastructure, IPEC got to work devising a solution to help the airport prevent future power loss.
As IPEC have been successfully monitoring key assets across London’s power network since 2001, the network operator managing this critical airport site trusted IPEC to implement a system across their network.
Our Head of Contracts, Tai Davids said: “IPEC had to find a solution that allowed users to detect problems proactively, automatically and quickly. It was important for the client to be able to view PD activity across the site, especially where access can be restricted, so our portable test equipment would not suffice. Instead, we implemented the ASM; a networked solution to monitor the system 24/7. We even integrated it into the custom alarm system which is used by the whole airport (not just the power network)”.
A reliable and practical solution: The ASM
The network operators at the airport are now able to use IPEC’s ASM PD Monitoring systems to view live PD activity across their substation network through our secure interface from any PC. The system is programmed to send both email and local hardwired alarms in case of high PD detection, which may lead to power failure, so users can quickly react to issues and ensure the airport remains operational 24 hours a day.
The IPEC ASM PD Monitoring system is completely autonomous. It first collects data from the sensors installed on the switchgear or underground cable assets before the DeCIFer algorithm removes background noise and identifies PD activity. Data is then stored locally on site before being automatically sent to the central server along with data from other monitors across the customer network. The central server combines data from all sites and allows engineers to review PD activity across their network with detailed graphs and further analysis tools.
Our team of highly skilled data analysis engineers and field service engineers are on hand to support the client through any action.
If future problems are detected, IPEC’s system can be used to locate the PD activity so timely repairs or network reconfigurations can be made in order to keep the network operational, offering complete peace of mind to asset managers.
Partial Discharge is attributed to the failure of 80% of electrical assets. Early detection of PD can be essential in protecting your supply. By incorporating IPEC’s expert PD Instruments, or systems, operators can feel confident in the operation of their network.
