As underground cable and distribution systems age, electrical faults occur with increasing frequency due to damage, workmanship issues and general deterioration. Energy utilities need a quick, effective solution to identifying these faults before they can cause damage or harm the community.
Recently, a utility deployed a mobile contact voltage solution to perform a survey of its underground distribution areas. The client sought a new solution for an old labour-intensive process of identifying faults. They were unaware of any ongoing faults in its underground distribution system and had no record of any public safety risk reports over the past decade.
A crew was quickly deployed, operating the sensitive detection equipment to survey the city. Within days of starting, one of the trucks triggered an alarm while passing a church complex.
A canvass of the area identified a large energised steel fence surrounding the church’s elementary school playground. The technicians investigated and confirmed the fence was energised at 107 Volts.
Because playground equipment was located along the energised fence, the survey team immediately cordoned off the area and remained on-site to ensure the public remained a safe distance from the hazard. A utility repair crew was dispatched and arrived shortly thereafter.
A quick review of GIS drawings noted a service cable located perpendicular to the fence and adjacent to a tree. Service was disconnected to make the area safe. Excavation of the area revealed that the tree roots cracked the service duct and pushed underground cable into contact with a buried steel fence post.
A small section of cable was replaced and the concrete sidewalk was restored. This is a typical underground fault that can only be discovered using Logsys Power Service’s exclusive mobile contact voltage detection solution.
The solution provides unmatched intelligence and visibility into the health of underground distribution systems and assets. Using a combination of cutting-edge electric field detection technologies and purpose-built data systems, we proactively scan utility assets and detect electrical faults before they can impact utilities.
Logsys’s capital expenditure-based, programmatic approach to secondary system management provides accurate asset assessments, helping electric utilities:
» Improve public and worker safety
» Improve system reliability through intelligent asset management
» Reduce costly energy losses and carbon footprint
» Reduce emergency and unscheduled O&M costs
» Prevent risk and cost of failure or premature replacement of assets
» Avoid service interruptions
All data collected in the field is organised and accessible in real time through both automated reports and our web-based geospatial software application.
To learn more, contact your local Logsys Power Services professional at jjankowitz@logsys.com.au
