Industry needs T&M to reduce powerloses

Industry experts discuss with EPR Magazine how T&M instruments helps to increase power efficiencies.

Precise testing and estimation is basic in electronic frameworks plan and assembling to guarantee item quality. Test and estimation (T&M) frameworks assume a fundamental part in endorsing the presentation of a wide scope of electronic items. Expanded item intricacy has prodded the interest for accuracy testing at each phase of the item’s life cycle, directly from plan and improvement to creation testing, pre-and post-market testing, just as help. Subsequently, the development of the test and estimation industry goes connected at the hip with the development of the gadgets business in the country. 

India can possibly be among the precursors in the following period of innovation advancements. The Indian electronic frameworks plan and assembling (ESDM) area has seen consistent development lately, with the centre moving from unadulterated play framework or item configuration to incorporate different zones like item improvement, unique plan producing (ODM), and so forth.

Instruments being used to analyse efficiency in a transmission and distribution systems

ower sector plays a very crucial role in the industry & unforeseen situations like power losses, system failures, shut down or accidents can deteriorate the efficiency of T&D systems to a massive extent. To tackle such circumstances proper testing & measuring instruments become a requisite.  Parag Yelegaonkar, General Manager – Gov. Business, Testo India PVT. LTD. says, “Thermal Imagers are very important for the enhancement of life of any power plant. Right from the beginning i.e., installation phase thermal imagers can be used for setting up benchmark parameters & for all kinds of troubleshooting jobs. Consider the power generation phase of the power plant where a small lapse in maintenance can lead to highly unsafe conditions. Most importantly, in power T&D segment like, the electrical connection points and insulators for overhead power lines in substations or the overhead power lines in high-voltage systems, switch yards and transmission lines must be regularly checked through routine maintenance for anomalies detection.” For inaccessible or restricted locations efficiency analysis can be done by thermal inspection as a predictive maintenance technique from a safe distance. In addition to that, to keep the electrical assets in T&D utilities healthy and to keep regular checks on its performance, electrical parameter measuring instruments like multi-meters & clamp meters are of utmost importance. Anil Daulani, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director – India, CyanConnode adds, “On the technology front, very promising results are achieved where utilities have adopted AMI on a mass level covering entire feeders and cities. The AT&C losses in these utilities have come down and have shown good operational efficiency gain but still a lot of ground needs to be covered. There is a clear need to deploy right communication technology, which can provide 24×7, always ‘on’ connectivity on IPV6 tunnel between each smart meter and HES (Head End System). Some of Indian consumers keep evolving new techniques to steal energy, which makes DISCOMs to incur heavy commercial losses despite installation of smart meters. There is need to create smart metering monitoring teams fully supported by near real time data acquisition by smart meters and right coordination with vigilance and field teams to work as “one effective team” in DISCOMs for bringing huge operational improvements.”There is need to capture data at source and utilisation of same time frequency by consumer smart meters and distribution transformer (DT) meters, to have near real time DT wise energy balance. Capturing low interval data like 15 minutes IP (Instantaneous Parameters) of consumer smart meters involving neutral current measurement and make MDM systems to have effective analytics capability to strengthen DISCOM teams with effective inputs to reduce commercial leakages. Without IP data collection, smart meters do not realise the actual benefits of such huge investments. It also helps consumers to monitor their near real time energy consumption (rather than seeing one day old data), which we can well achieve with right communication technologies.

He adds, “The ambitious target of converting the existing 25 crore meters to smart meter is still at nascent stage. So Indian DISCOMs need to leapfrog with proven technologies rather than further experimenting as the country has invested several years on examining and verifying the deliverables by various technologies.” To which Suneel Kapoor, CEO, Kyoritsu KEW India industruments PVT. LTD. says, “ We look at efficiency from angle of Operational Upkeep using our Product offerings when we look at distribution & transmission networks. We also assist Design & Testing of the Network Devices of the likes of Transformers & any other Power Converters in the Distribution Network using our state of are Multi Channel Wide Bandwidth High Accuracy Power Analysers

We have General Purpose Low Voltage Test & Measurement Products like Multimeters, Clamp Meters, Earth Testers, Insulation tester etc which are basic tools required for upkeep of  distribution & transmission networks & specialised Condition Monitoring Tools like power quality analyzers Online Partial Dicharge detectors and Acoustic Imaging cameras which are very useful to predict fault and thus will enable a 100% Up & Running Network

Also we enable Electrical Safety with AC/DC Voltage, discharge sticks & Phase Detectors to ensure Personnel who are working on the Network are Safe 

We do have Transmission/Line Installation Tools like Come Along Clamps, Pullers, Peelers, Cutters etc too”

Power theft is one the critical issues in the power sector solution

Kapoor says, “ Nearest we come to this subject is by analyzing Power Quality and its elements as per IEC 61000-4-30 for which we’ve power loggers and power quality analyzers to enable user take a judgment based on its findings.”

Safety and quality performance to curb the power loss in transmission lines

Power loss or system failures can be avoided only if timely inspections are carried out. Predictive & preventive maintenance using thermal imagers is an excellent method to identify potential threats, hotspots, overloads, component failure etc. and eliminate any catastrophe before it happens. Daulani says, “With renewed focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), electrical equipment industry is well equipped with required infrastructure support, technical knowledge, to fulfil the demand of power sector. With customer interactions being limited because of pandemic led restriction on mobility, faster deployment of smart metering will help the distribution companies with automated accurate billing without risking the lives and better operational efficiency with real time system information.” To which Yelegaonkar adds, “Similarly, Electrical Instruments are of great help in inspecting the electrical components, circuit failure threats & other troubleshooting needs. The unique Clamp meters and Multi meters are intuitive and can measure several parameters in a single component. These advance measuring tools ensure longevity and efficiency of various power electronic components that control and regulate the flow of electrical energy without endangering the user or without a shut down of the entire power transmission network.”Kapoor elaborates, “Online Partial Discharge detectors and Acoustic Imaging cameras which are very useful to predict failure due to Partial Discharge on Line & its various connecting components and detecting same in time will enable no unscheduled downtime.”

Offering for fault identification and correctness in T&D

When talking about Testo Yelegaonkar says, “With increasing measurement needs and application areas, Testo India has always focused on delivering the right product that addresses the concerns precisely, identify faults and ensure convenience for the users. In line with our vision, Testo has just launched the latest Thermal Imagers testo 883 with smartphone integration designed to deliver networked thermography. They are aimed to revolutionize the experience for preventive maintenance in electrical unit, transformers, switch cabinets, transmission lines, Solar PV plants and the entire power sector. Testo also provides high end thermal imagers testo 890 that, can be used to conduct thermal inspections in transmission lines up to 765KV voltage level, using a super telephoto lens with correspondingly high resolution, conveniently from the ground. These thermal cameras come with a very advantageous feature of ‘site recognition’ also available in the IR soft software. Continuous thermal inspection becomes a mandate for the entire Power sector & that’s where Testo extends its support and expertise to the industry and its users.”

Earthing of the System

Component Testing like Transformers along with various Low Voltage Measuring Tools for other DUTs

Power Quality testing for Consumer side issue identification in a Distribution Network

System Maintenance by way of PD Monitoring Systems for entire Swithgear AIS/GIS or HV Cables

System Maintenance by way of PD Monitoring for entire Transmission Line & its Connecting Components

Safety Tools for working on Electrical Setup & also Personnel Safety Harnesses”

Daulani mentions about CyanConnode, “CyanConnode founded in 2002 is a leader in narrowband RF mesh network for IoT communication. Our standard based Omnimesh platform allows multiple routes to market and caters to multi-application network of smart grid. In last 9 years of operations in India, we undertook projects in various distribution utilities along with reputed meter manufactures and SI partners. Some of the projects which are completed and under support phase includes-UGVCL Ahmedabad, MPWZ Indore, CESC Mysore, Tata Power Mumbai, and APSPDCL- Tirupati. We are currently deploying over 1 million smart meters through our new projects.

Notably all the projects undertaken have yielded the desired results to maximise the system reliability, system efficiency, reducing energy and revenue losses.Our proven technology, passionate service delivery, handholding with stakeholders and treading extra mile across the project cycle has established us as differentiated AMI communication partner in market. Our open approach towards integration with multiple makes of meters or other end-devices, unique provisioning methodology to ease the field deployment of meters, added with well-documented ICT deployment and upstream system integration guidelines has fast paced the smart meter project deliveries.

In most of the projects, utilities benefited immediately with real time system parameters visibility. Theft cases easily detected, billing efficiency increases and with plenty of data points decision making becomes more scientific and economically fruitful.”

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With renewed focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), electrical equipment industry is well equipped with required infrastructure support, technical knowledge, to fulfil the demand of power sector.

Anil Daulani, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director – India, CyanConnode

We look at efficiency from angle of Operational Upkeep using our Product offerings when we look at distribution & transmission networks.

Suneel Kapoor, CEO, Kyoritsu KEW India Industruments PVT. LTD.

Power sector plays a very crucial role in the industry & unforeseen situations like power losses, system failures, shut down or accidents can deteriorate the efficiency of T&D systems to a massive extent.

Parag Yelegaonkar, General Manager – Gov. Business, Testo India Pvt. Ltd.