Advanced T&M solutions supporting power infra boom  

These portable devices, equipped with advanced features such as PC and Bluetooth connectivity, help engineers conduct remote monitoring and testing, greatly enhancing field productivity and response times.

The power infrastructure in India is undergoing a rapid shift to meet the rising energy demands of newly emerging manufacturing hubs propelled by the government’s ‘Make-in-India’ initiative. As industrial growth accelerates, the need for reliable, efficient and technologically advanced power generation, transmission, and distribution systems becomes increasingly vital. In this evolving landscape, modern Testing and Measurement (T&M) instruments play a crucial role in ensuring operational efficiency, safety and performance, particularly within substations.

These portable devices, equipped with advanced features such as PC and Bluetooth connectivity, help engineers conduct remote monitoring and testing, greatly enhancing field productivity and response times.

T&M tools are also instrumental in validating the functionality of digital substations, facilitating accurate real-time monitoring and control. Devices such as power analysers and relay test sets are critical for verifying the precision of protection schemes, thereby improving the reliability and resilience of the overall power system.

Advanced T&M Instruments

The ‘Make-in-India’ initiative by the Central government has encouraged domestic and foreign companies to establish manufacturing units nationwide. This industrial growth demands a significant electricity generation, transmission, and distribution capacity boost. Modern power infrastructure is increasingly adopting advanced testing and measurement instruments to support this expansion. These instruments have PC connectivity, enabling remote monitoring of critical electrical parameters such as voltage, current, frequency and temperature.

Remote monitoring not only enhances operational efficiency but also allows for quicker detection and response to faults. Integrating such technology with intelligent control systems allows modern power stations and substations to be managed more efficiently and reliably. This reduces downtime, improves safety and ensures a stable power supply to meet the growing demands of industrial expansion. Consequently, adopting smart technologies in the power sector is vital in supporting the country’s manufacturing-led economic development.

Enhancing SCADA System Reliability

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems manage operations in digital substations by receiving field signals. These signals are processed by microcontrollers based on pre-defined logic circuits to monitor electrical parameters accurately. To ensure equipment malfunctions cause no errors, SCADA systems rely on precise electronic measurements. However, testing and measurement instruments play a critical role in validating the actual performance and reliability of substation systems. By comparing measured data against expected values, these instruments help confirm the correct functioning of substation components and detect any anomalies early. Integrating digital control and advanced measurement tools ensures safety and performance in modern power systems.

Boosting the Performance of Electrical Systems

Power analysers are crucial in ensuring the reliable operation of electrical systems in substations. These advanced instruments perform various measurements, including AC voltage, AC current, frequency, dips, swells, harmonics, power, energy, power factor, flicker, unbalance, inrush current and voltage transients. By monitoring these parameters, power analysers help detect abnormalities, inefficiencies or potential faults in the system at an early stage. This allows for timely corrective actions, reducing the risk of system failures and enhancing overall operational safety. Their data also aids in verifying system performance and compliance with standards. Through continuous and accurate monitoring, power analysers contribute significantly to digital substations’ optimal functioning, stability and reliability in modern power networks.

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Authored by: Chandmal Goliya, Managing Director- Kusam Electrical Industries Ltd