Smart remote monitoring in the transformer station

Safety and transparency - smart remote monitoring in the transformer substation

io-key® pilot project in the low-voltage grid

Germany’s power grids have around 600,000 local distribution substations. Every single one has to be visited and inspected regularly by qualified staff. Among other things, it must be prevented that moisture ingress causes dangerous short circuits or power outages for customers. This is time-consuming and still only ever provides a snapshot — the intervals between inspections remain a black box.

Detect damage before it occurs

In a pilot project, autosen is currently testing a smart alternative with a well-known grid operator: remote monitoring via the io-key®. For this purpose, temperature and humidity values are transmitted almost in real time, making it possible to determine relative humidity and dew point. The data can be used to detect impending moisture damage long before it occurs, so that measures can be taken in good time. These predictive services therefore increase the security of the power supply and the efficiency of maintenance operations. The next step is to add sensor technology for detecting discharges, so that non-fatal damage can be recorded and repaired before the station fails.

A step towards the digital local distribution substation

Remote monitoring is a step towards the digital local distribution substation, the central component of the energy transition. Due to the decentralised location of the substations, communication technology for data transmission plays a key role. The io-key® uses its own VPN connection to the mobile network operator and, depending on network coverage, LTE-M or 2G.

The io-key®’s mobile module always automatically selects the strongest available mobile network, so no configuration is required; sensor detection is also automatic. A rapid nationwide rollout is therefore ensured after the successful pilot.