How The Power Industry Can Easily Monitor Network Condition

Phil Black - PII Editor 29/10/2014

149 1 minute read

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3M, the diversified technology company, has announced the availability of the 3M Sensored Termination, which is designed to enable power utilities to easily collect data from existing medium voltage networks and then use this information to monitor network condition.

The 3M Sensored Termination can be easily and quickly retrofitted into existing switchgear to provide accurate voltage and current measurements which, in turn, can be fed back to monitoring and other systems.

3M says that the 3M Sensored Termination represents a cost-effective way for energy utilities to address the increasing need to monitor the status of existing network assets and react to power requirements in a more dynamic way, as part of their smart grid strategies. Data collected by the termination can be used to ensure more efficient energy flow, reduce time wasted locating faults and outage time.

Installation can be carried out by any qualified medium voltage electrician and without intervention on the switchgear, due to the termination’s plug and play design. Other benefits include the use of passive sensor technology, meaning no additional power source is required. The termination is pre-calibrated in the factory, to ensure consistent accuracy once installed.

Mark Gledhill, business development manager, says, “The 3M Sensored Termination has been developed in consultation with the power utility market, in which 3M has a long-standing track record. We work closely with the majority of the UK’s power utilities and believe we have a clear understanding of the challenges they face.”

The introduction of the 3M Sensored Termination is part of the company’s overall offer for energy markets. Existing products include: ACCR (Aluminium Conductor Composite Reinforced), designed as a drop-in replacement to enhance ampacity on existing transmission power lines; Cold Shrink medium voltage inline splice connectors; and Novec Engineered Fluid for a variety of applications, including fire suppression, high-quality coating on electronic components or as an environmentally-responsible replacement to SF6 within medium- and high-voltage switchgear.