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Remote condition monitoring of oil/air/gas pressurised cable networks

Remote condition monitoring of oil/air/gas pressurised cable networks

05/09/2008 | Channel: Contracts, New Products & Services

As Network Rail look forward to their next control period the battle to increase efficiency, whilst reducing costs, only becomes stronger.

At the same time the pressures to tighten up on safety and environmental issues also roll forward unrelentingly. One area of increasing interest that helps address these issues is remote condition monitoring. Drallim Industries are involved in numerous monitoring applications including trackside safety (LUL), pressurised communications cables and oil-filled high voltage cables. In the last of these sectors they have a strong presence on the National Grid, where they have recently been awarded a contract to complete a ten-year programme of investment to monitor their entire network. Drallim offer a comprehensive monitoring system, providing fast remote access to dynamic system conditions, for the effective management of system events.

Remote monitoring, the Drallim way
The Drallim system is designed to be a remote monitoring facility for selfcontained pressurised cable systems offering, early leak detection, alarm prediction and associated cable condition and management operations. Using innovative telemetry techniques, the system can communicate long distance over ‘copper-based’ cable systems, or GSM/GPRS Cellular networks. The system may also be used to remotely monitor gas insulated switchgear and changed state conditions.

Understanding trends and environmental effects
Continuous variations in cable pressures, due to changing thermal conditions and cyclic load currents may often disguise small dielectric fluid leaks. Such minor leaks are often difficult to detect and require regular site visits to record pressure levels, to determine the magnitude of leak condition. The Drallim Monitoring system, with highly accurate digital temperature compensated sensors, can provide valuable remote diagnostic functionality, to give early indication of progressive losses enabling improved co-ordination and management of resources and remedial works. Thus expensive and routine timeconsuming on-site visits by field staff are minimised.

Improved planning and asset management
Routine site visits, to inspect vital systems, can be reduced, allowing maintenance and repair work to be more effectively identified and scheduled. This can result in improved use of scarce resources, lower risk of unplanned outages and increased lifespan of assets.

Real benefits
Better monitoring of the performance of cable pressures and associated equipment over time can lead to major revenue savings by avoiding unexpected failures. It also brings a significant improvement in the availability of the diagnostic data for improved quality evaluation to be undertaken, and allows the cable operator to focus maintenance activities on a ‘needs only’ basis, and facilitates better scheduling of remedial measures in advance of any critical failures.

Drallim
Tel: 01424 205 140
Email: sales@drallim.com
Web: www.drallim.com