Wide-area monitoring

Our solution

Synchronised waveform data is a powerful tool in the detection of oscillations in power flows or voltages and, as a result, can prevent serious incidents like mass power outages. Synchrophasor or SCADA measurements are usually not suitable for detecting some of these oscillations, particularly for relatively high frequencies (greater than 12 Hz). Our systems perform CPOW monitoring of all voltage, current, temperature, vibration, and strain signals.

As measurements are taken using a passive system without the need for a dedicated power supply or time synchronisation source, synchronised waveform data is an effective, highly accurate way to monitor remote and challenging locations. This can be especially effective for detecting and diagnosing power quality issues from distributed solar generation and in offshore wind networks.

Comprehensive analysis of synchronised waveform data

The data generated by synchronised waveform data monitoring can be as extensive as it is valuable. Our Synthesis™ data analysis system is designed to operate with high-resolution waveform data from a large number of sensors, providing the equivalent of having digital fault recorders and power quality analysers available at all monitored locations, but without the high cost of conventional instrumentation and communications equipment.

Synchrophasors (phasor measurement units)

System operators use synchrophasors (derivable from synchronised waveform data) to enhance the visibility and resilience of modern power systems as well as real-time and post-event analysis and network model evaluation. However, there is significant cost and complexity in networking large numbers of time-synchronised Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) reliably from wide locations. By using distributed current and voltage sensing, our Distributed Electrical Sensing (DES) technology has the potential to deliver synchrophasors at a fraction of the cost of conventional solutions, leading to capex savings of approximately 80% per measurement location, compared to conventional infrastructure. This is achieved primarily by eliminating the need for local Phasor Data Concentrators, synchronised clocks, telecommunications infrastructure, construction of buildings, power supplies, and dedicated merging units at each measurement location. It readily supports the IEEE C37.118.2 output format for integration with other systems.

Distributed, synchronous power quality monitoring

Power quality effects are conventionally measured in substations, particularly on new grid connections for renewable generation schemes. However, Synaptec’s passive sensor capabilities now permit distributed PQ sensing which can be deployed beyond the grid connection to provide permanent and synchronous data in more detail. This allows monitoring for localised flicker effects, or to target the source of poor power quality injections at the level of individual inverters and their array cables.