Innovative tools’ implementation for substation maintenance

“Next generation technology is essential to address the availability, along with demand and supply gap for quality and efficient power supply,” Mr. Prabhakaran PV, Head – Product Management, Fluke India.

Substations are one of the critical assets for industry and utility. Thorough maintenance for a substation is critical as any breakdown in a substation can contribute to major issues in your productivity, safety and in routine. Longevity of substations is depending on many things including the design, materials, operational conditions, etc. Here, maintenance provides required prolongness required, and with appropriate maintenance, you can achieve the mileage of the asset. It’s imperative that you maintain these assets to ensure safety of the manpower and the machineries as these assets incur high costs and they increase the safety casualties. This further improves the reliability, because, the substations are a critical part of electrical, hence, we must ensure on reliable power is delivered to the consumers. 

Power quality, thermographic imaging, and partial discharge 

Measurement is the key maintenance. When you are able to measure something, then you can definitely manage it, as that’s how the process goes. We create various tests and perform maintenance accordingly. Usually, there is an array of tests like, insulation test, power and power quality test, turns ration, S Then the turns ratio, frequency response among the others. 

Fluke offers right reliable and accurate machine devices for your maintenance needs. Power quality is the need of the hour and very individual from your house to industrial houses, aircrafts, etc. Is dependent on electricity, therefore, quality can largely impacts your productivity and operations? Power quality is deteriorating as today, even substations are connected with nonlinear generation sources like; the distributed generation systems including solar or wind generation. Today, you will not be able to find linear loads like incandescent tubes or lighting systems or general motor as majority of the loads today is nonlinear consuming nonlinear current. So, the substation is pressed from both sides with impure power quality or impure drawing of energy. 

Distributed generated energy is again adding vulnerability into the substations and the systems; and changing regulations are also looking for precise and better delivery of electricity. Interestingly, since we are living in a digital world, the loads today are more sensitive than the earlier decade. And everything including this communication what we are using these systems operate at very minute levels of voltages.

Availability of quality power 

Today, electricity is a primary requirement. This further emphasises on availability and quality power to the consumers by maintaining the substations and its assets. Then comes the cost; the cost of unplanned maintenance, delivery, O&M requirement, because, today everyone is working with limited funds; and reduced budget further bounds us to ensure quality maintenance practices are being followed in the operations.

Coming to the liability cost, today the utility companies are very concerned over the liability. But I think going forward, even in India, the liability will be going to the utility companies. Moreover, factors like liability of good supply and it’s unavailability for the user, will impact utility companies. In order to maintain your credibility, it’s imperative that you maintain your critical assets like substations, in a big way. This will directly impact your safety, uptime for the customers, and for yourself.