Sensor system saves time and money by rapidly isolating network faults

The technology - which measures voltage, current, temperature, pressure and vibrations in fibre-optic cables - has been designed by Synaptec, creators of photonic sensors for complex energy systems, in partnership with Strathclyde University.

It uses fibre-optic Brag grating sensors written into the core of the optical fibre used in Britain’s energy and telecoms transmission networks to measure strain and temperature. These sensors are connected to piezoelectric actuators that measure voltage and current.

Taken together, the measurements provide a complete picture of the line. Should a fault occur, the network operator can make fast, low-cost measurements to determine where a fault lies, even if the location is remote, allowing them to fix this quickly and reduce the amount that they are fined for network downtime.

The electricity transmission network in the UK has fibre optic cabling installed on around 75 per cent of all lines, though this will grow to 100 per cent at transmission level in the future. Synaptec’s sensors can couple into this fibre, which runs in parallel with the lines. The sensors make use of a different part of the spectrum of light to the sensing system, avoiding interference with the core functionality of the line. The technology can also track the amount of generation and demand on the grid.