Outage Avoidance through Intelligent Detection of Incipient Equipment Failures on Distribution Feeders Conference Paper uri icon

abstract

  • The past two decades have witnessed quantum advances in the application of microprocessor-based monitoring, protection, and control of power systems. Early digital devices were designed with singular functions in mind, relaying being a prime example. Thinking and practice have evolved and it is now recognized that current and voltage waveforms necessary for a particular function, say relaying, also contain a wealth of information that can be useful for other functions. Texas A&M is collecting, analyzing, and characterizing high-fidelity current and voltage waveforms in a multi-year project, the goal of which is to discover and take advantage of information "hidden" in waveforms, to recognize early warning signs of incipient apparatus failures and recognize improper or suboptimal equipment operation. This Distribution Fault Anticipation (DFA) project is part of the Electric Power Research Institute's distribution automation roadmap. EPRI-member utilities have instrumented 60 feeders across North America to record high-fidelity data for the project. Tennessee Valley Authority-member utility Pickwick Electric Cooperative has instrumented three feeders and has avoided multiple outages and diagnosed malfunctioning equipment. 2008 IEEE.

name of conference

  • 2008 IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting - Conversion and Delivery of Electrical Energy in the 21st Century

published proceedings

  • 2008 IEEE POWER & ENERGY SOCIETY GENERAL MEETING, VOLS 1-11

author list (cited authors)

  • Bowers, J. S., Sundaram, A., Benner, C. L., & Russell, B. D.

citation count

  • 9

complete list of authors

  • Bowers, John S||Sundaram, Ashok||Benner, Carl L||Russell, B Don

publication date

  • January 2008