A flexible and future-proof monitoring solution for digital substations – First application experience with a hybrid system of cloud and edge technology

Abstract:
The energy transition requires electrical grids with a new generation of flexible operating equipment to effectively and sustainably manage the increasing grid complexity caused by fluctuating renewable power generation and the increasing electrification of the mobility, housing and industry sectors. The integration of advanced sensors, IoT connectivity, cloud technology, digital twins and artificial intelligence into reliable power transmission products has already been presented as a new approach back in 2020. This article expands the digitalization concept by local storage, processing, virtualization and networking of real-time information for advanced functions, such as condition assessments of a circuit breaker drive or the insulating medium of a high-voltage switchgear. Further functional examples are overload simulations calculated locally and remaining service lives of power transformers by using a digital twin. The capabilities of the monitoring solution are enriched by an ondemand cloud connectivity which allows for remote updates, support and data archive & recover after emergencies. Further, cloud technology enables the analysis of big data for trend detection and condition assessment of the entire fleet. Beside the presentation of the hybrid concept and the operator advantages, first application experiences from a test environment for a gas-insulated switchgear and from a field pilot application of a power transformer will be discussed. In addition, an outlook on further application potentials regarding grid operation, service & asset management are outlined.