Power Cable Monitoring

Fiber Optic Sensing for
Condition Monitoring and Thermal Ratings

HIGH VOLTAGE CABLE MONITORING AND LOAD MANAGEMENT

Today's power grids need to operate at the highest possible safe ampacity level.

To protect valuable power cable infrastructure, high safety margins are often applied. These can limit the efficiency of your power cable infrastructure. AP Sensing is the Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) solution provider for your power grid. Our power cable monitoring solution balances the need for asset protection and power network performance optimization by efficiently pinpointing the root causes of cable failures and potential bottlenecks.

DISTRIBUTED TEMPERATURE & ACOUSTIC SENSING

AP Sensing's Distributed Fiber Optic Solutions (DFOS) for temperature and acoustic measurements, together with our proven Real Time Thermal Rating (RTTR) / Dynamic Cable Rating (DCR) engine and unique SmartVision asset visualization and data management software, give you the ideal solution to monitor and protect your power infrastructure. DTS provides continuous temperature monitoring of power cables, detecting hotspots and thermal bottlenecks, delivering operational status, condition assessment and power circuit rating data (RTTR/ DCR).

For subsea cables, a Depth of Burial module (DoB) can be integrated into the SmartVision software platform to calculate the Burial Depth of the cable. DoB changes are identified along the cable, enabling significant cost savings. In addition, exposed subsea cable segments can be detected and countermeasures initiated.

Additionally, abnormal asset behaviors are revealed by our Machine Learning Transient Alarm (MLTA) that would otherwise remain hidden within the temperature traces captured DTS systems. Our unique MLTA technique allows for the isolation of thermal transients along the monitored asset, so even small irregularities by cold- and hotspots can be detected, and triggers fast and reliable alarming.

DAS offers accurate cable fault detection and location, as well as Third Party Interference (TPI) protection both onshore (e.g. cable theft, digging and drilling) and offshore (e.g. anchor drops and drags). Providing efficient power cable condition monitoring by listening 24/7 to acoustic signatures, DAS helps you optimize transmission line and distribution networks, while reducing operational costs along the entire asset.

AP Sensing’s Fiber-based Current Monitoring (FbCM) expands the functionality of our DAS technology with the option of electrical condition monitoring.

Video: How are power cable faults or pipeline leaks located?

SMARTVISION

AP Sensing's SmartVision management suite shows the condition of your circuits at a glance, controlled by an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI). It seamlessly integrates many DAS, DTS, CCTV and other sensors into a single platform. Circuit layouts are mapped and color-coded to show the measured cable temperatures, as well as instantaneous changes in acoustic energy. Temperature graphs and hotspot tables are readily available. Sections of the cable route can be individually defined for flexible alarm levels and types. Points of interest, such as cable joints, horizontal drillings and manholes can be analyzed with historic trend analysis and historical data is always accessible.

As we develop our products from the research and manufacturing stages, to the project commissioning and maintenance, AP Sensing offers a completely integrated, end-to-end solution. Our team works together with you to select the right combination of technologies to fit your requirements. We also provide onsite services, hotline support, maintenance and product training.

KEY FEATURES

OUR KEY FEATURES FOR HIGH VOLTAGE POWER CABLE MONITORING

Why you should choose AP Sensing!

Feature	Benefit
Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) systems	...continuous and continual temperature data along the entire power circuit (DTS); fault location and protection from TPI (DAS).
Superior Raman / Code-Correlation Optical Time Domain Reflectometry (OTDR) technology	...best-in-class accuracy and longest range without strain crosstalk.
Comprehensive SmartVision management suite	...highly advanced key component for safe and optimized asset operation.
Integrated RTTR/DCR engine	…ampacity prognosis and intelligent data processing.
Remote communication network system	...retrieve data seamlessly from assets distributed over a large geographical area.
DFOS Sensor	...ability to cover large areas and longer distances with a single sensor.
Depth of Burial (DoB)	...real-time depth of burial analysis to minimize the impact on the surrounding ecosystem and prevent equipment failures.

APPLICATION FIELDS

APPLICATIONS

Our solutions monitor key application areas, including:
HVAC / HVDC underground power cables
Transmission lines and distribution networks
Offshore export cables, array cables & interconnectors
Power cable joints, terminations, tunnels and trenches
Overhead lines (pylons) & transformers
Utility tunnels

DOCUMENTATION

POWER CABLE MONITORING DOCUMENTATION

Distributed Temperature Sensing and Real Time Thermal Rating

Download Power Cable Monitoring information in the language of your choice:

Brochure - EN

Flyer - Bus Duct Temperature Monitoring - EN

Flyer - Subsea PCM - EN

Flyer - Switchgear and Busbar Temperature Monitoring - EN

Flyer - Underground PCM - EN

AP SENSING SUCCESS STORIES

We have hundreds of satisfied customers worldwide!

Fiber-based current monitoring (FbCM)

To enhance reliability, Energinet and AP Sensing implemented a pilot installation of AP Sensing’s FbCM solution on a new 132 kV HVAC cable connecting two substations in Copenhagen.

Bus Duct Temperature Monitoring in Hyperscale Facility

With the challenge of spanning two building levels and nearly thirty rooms, AP Sensing deployed a fiber optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) unit, providing continuous monitoring along high ampacity bus ducts.

Bus Duct Monitoring in a Colocation Facility

The data center facility in this case study has evolved and is currently designed and built to operate as a modern colocation data center. The operator pursued a retrofit bus duct temperature monitoring solution, which would increase operational efficiency and provide a continuous monitoring solution for the entire length of all bus duct sections in the data halls.

Bus Duct Data Center Monitoring

Recently, a major cloud computing provider was looking for a busway temperature monitoring solution for their European hub. They were looking for a continuous monitoring solution for the busway runs between switchrooms and the data hall and implemented one AP Sensing DTS device plus specialty sensor cable for 24/7 monitoring of hotspots and localization of hotspots within 1 m. Our solution enables preventative maintenance and a quick emergency response.

Fiber-based Current Monitoring

Comprehensive power cable monitoring is becoming increasingly important - computing cable ratings based on thermal profiling (RTTR), detecting and locating hotspots, cable faults and TPI events, and permanent cable condition monitoring of cable accessories and terminations for early detection of issues within the entire cable system. Read more about our sheath current monitoring study conducted with Brugg Cables.

Urban Power Cable Monitoring using DAS & AI

Underground HVAC power cables are often buried within urban areas, under streets, bridges and near construction sites. TSOs are in need of a suitable and feasible solution for accurate detection and classification of Third Party Interference (TPI) events close to power cables. AP Sensing, together with our partner Crony, recently completed a project that used a combination our our DAS technology with Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically Deep Neural Networks (DNN), for signal analysis and classification.

Innovative DoBS method for offshore power cable monitoring

With the actual accelerated transition towards more sustainable energies, the deployment of wind farms and submarine power cables has significantly increased in the last few years and will expand significantly in the near future. Therefore, monitoring the growing number of offshore power cables has become very important to identify possible damage risks and avoid long power outages at an early stage.

400kV Power Cable Circuit Monitoring in Bahrain

AP Sensing was recently selected to monitor a 400 kV power cable loop for Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) in the Kingdom of Bahrain. As part of EWA’s strategic 400 kV Transmission Development program, this project adds a crucial link to the infrastructure of the Kingdom of Bahrain and is the first 400 kV XLPE submarine cable to be installed in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

500kV HVDC Monitoring KEPCO

The Buk-Dangjin to Godeok underground power cable link supplies electricity in South Korea from the Dangjin power plant to Godeok, Pyeongtaek city and throughout the Seoul Metropolitan area. AP Sensing's Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology was recently deployed by Korean Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to monitor the power cable link.

TPI & Power Cable monitoring for RTE, France

AP Sensing is monitoring a 39 km underground power cable link for Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE), the French electricity transmission system operator. Both Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technologies are in use to monitoring Third Party Intrusion (TPI), cable faults, and hotspots, as well as AP Sensing’s SmartVision software with a MapView module.

Power Cable Fault Detection & Location Analysis

For large power cable assets such as subsea cables, windfarm export cables or HV onshore transmission cables, finding cable faults rapidly is crucial to minimizing downtimes caused by these faults. Fiber optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is a key enabler for this task. In this compilation of four different projects, AP Sensing summarizes different situations and how our DAS system provided fault-finding services both offline and online.

Underground Power Cable (DAS), Germany

An AP Sensing Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) system is monitoring a 6 km high-voltage power cable in Germany. A key feature of DAS is the ability to immediately detect and locate cable faults. This helps optimize transmission and distribution networks, and reduces costly and unnecessary operational costs and asset downtime.

380 KV Underground Power Cable Monitoring in Brugg

Brugg Kabel & Swissgrid selected AP Sensing to monitor a new project in Switzerland where a route of overhead lines will be replaced by underground power lines. The power cable monitoring system provides accurate temperature profiling for all power cable phases, plus indicates maximum temperatures and where these are located.

115kV Underground Power Cable Saudi Arabia June 2020

Khudriyah-2 BSP is a new grid station situated on the outskirts of Dammam city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) system was deployed to monitor the temperatures of two 115 kV underground circuits, providing thermal profiling and insights into the the actual conductor temperature and transient statuses with Real Time Thermal Rating (RTTR).

Underground Transmission Cable Monitoring Pakistan May 2020

AP Sensing is monitoring a 132 kV underground transmission cable for Karachi Electric. This cable experiences greater loads than nominal lines, as it feeds energy to a steel mill with high energy throughputs and frequent consumption cycles. Our solution provides end-to-end temperature monitoring to reduce thermal overload and cable faults. Additionally, RTTR and our asset viewer software enhance operational insight.

Underground Power Cable Utilizing DAS March 2020

Kriegers Flak Offshore Wind November 2019

Denmark's largest offshore wind farm required a reliable, high-performance solution for protecting and monitoring cable loads and immediately detecting faults. 6 DTS units and 9 DAS units are in use for monitoring 300 km of this asset; AP Sensing's SmartVision visualization software is utilized for a real-time graphic overview of all temperature and acoustic data.

Underground Power Monitoring Skanste Riga Aug 2018

An AP Sensing fiber-optic DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution was selected to monitor power cables on two underground circuits in Latvia. This successful installation involved one DTS N4425A device with six channels, as well as SmartVision and RTTR (real time thermal rating).

Offshore Windpark DTS and DAS Monitoring SEPT 2017

The operators of an offshore wind farm located off the west coast of Denmark wanted a monitoring solution to locate cable faults immediately after they occur. They chose AP Sensing for our unique combination of DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) and DAS (Distributed Acoustic Sensing) capabilities.

Subsea Power Cable Monitoring with SmartVision and RTTR FEB 2017

The oil platform operator Engie needed a monitoring solution for their medium voltage (35kV) subsea power cable, which provides the power for the platform operations. AP Sensing was selected not only because of our ruggedness, reliability and superior support services, but also for our SmartVision™ and RTTR capabilities.

Subsea Power Transmission Link Sicily Calabria July 2016

The extra high voltage power links run between power stations in Sicily and Calabria, crossing the Messina straits. To monitor and protect the overland sections of this important link, AP Sensing’s fiber-optic based DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution was selected.

Olympic Park Brazil Updated Case

The Olympic Park is the main center of competition for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Covering over 1 million square meters and including 9 different sports facilities, a new power substation was constructed to handle the enormous power demand in the park. AP Sensing’s fiber-optic based DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution was selected to monitor this valuable infrastructure.

Wind Park Subsea Power Cable Monitoring Shanghai Oct 2010

The Donghai Bridge Wind Farm in Shanghai is the second largest bridge in the world. The wind farm is the first commercial offshore wind park, and was completed prior to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. AP Sensing was selected to monitor the subsea power cable with an approximate length of 15km.

Transmission and Distribution Network Updated Case

A leading Australian network operator wanted to gain monitoring insight into his distribution network: to monitor the medium-voltage power cable’s condition, identify hotspots and bottlenecks, and to minimize risks and costs for maintenance and in emergency situations. The operator can now operate his network at the highest possible safe ampacity level.

Taiwan Mass Rapid Transit Updated Case

AP Sensing was selected to monitor the power cable in a new metro tunnel. This is the first power cable temperature monitoring system to be used in the Taipei MRT. The Linear Power Series solution continually monitors the temperature of high-voltage power cables. The DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution ensures a stable, safe and efficient power transmission and distribution.

Sweden to Lithuania Subsea Cable Updated Case

Learn why AP Sensing was selected to monitor and protect the world's longest XLPE subsea cable.

Power Cable Tunnel Monitoring Shanghai Mar 2010

The World Exposition 2010 Shanghai China (Shanghai Expo) was held at the waterfront area on both sides of Huangpu River in Shanghai from May to October, 2010. AP Sensing provided its leading Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) system, the “Linear Power Series”, to monitor and secure the first 500kV power cables in Shanghai installed in a power cable tunnel over a distance of 20km.

Power Circuit Monitoring Czech Republic Jan 2010

In 2009 Brugg Cables installed a new 110 KV power circuit within the city limits of Prague. To protect valuable assets with Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) technology the end customer chose to equip the new circuit with a fiber optical sensor cable and permanently monitor the temperature profile with an AP Sensing Linear Heat Series instrument.

Network Operator Austria July 2013

In 2012, when it was time to upgrade and expand their network, Energie Steiermark selected AP Sensing as their DTS solution provider. Two of AP Sensing’s Linear Power Series DTS devices were installed, equipped with Multi Sensor Boards.

High Power Underground Cable Monitoring March 2010

Underground utilities are “the power” beneath large cities. They feed the cities with electric power, gas and water. Failures in this sensitive infrastructure are costly and therefore USI Power selected AP Sensing’s outdoor DTS instrument to permanently monitor the temperature along a 220kV power circuit connecting Manhattan and Queens.

380 KV Power Circuit Monitoring March 2011

In 2010 a new 380KV power circuit was put into operation as part of a nationwide power grid improvement. Near Florence the high voltage circuit has buried sections in close proximity to a very populated valley and a historic church. The primary route was completed in trenches filled with thermal sand. The project also included challenging road crossings that used horizontal drilling to complete the construction.

220 KV Power Circuit with Temperature Map Updated Case

A new 220KV underground power circuit traverses many different types of soil conditions along its 25 km length. AP Sensing’s fiber optic based DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution was selected by the network operator RTE (Réseaux de transport d'éléctricité), based on its reliability and ruggedness, as well as the innovative asset visualization capabilities.

Press Release Fiber Optic Sensing Association NOV 2017

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA) today released details on more than 1,300 installations of distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) around the world, the largest representative sample ever published. AP Sensing is proud of our global contributions for pipeline leak detection, high voltage power cable monitoring and fire detection.

Digitization is the driver for quality, capacity and efficient railway operation for DB Netz AG. Fiber Optic Sensing is an outstanding technology that enables the improval of infrastructure capabilities at lightspeed compared to other solutions using existing cable infrastructure. AP Sensing is taking FOS-based railway monitoring to the next level with their true phase-based system and the extensive use of AI. We’re happy to work in collaboration with AP Sensing’s responsive and innovative team, helping us to get projects moving and getting FOS integrated in the daily railway operation.

Max Schubert

DB Netz AG

AP Sensing's support team has been a fantastic resource for us over the years. They have helped us with system development and implementation planning, and they are always quick to respond to our technical queries with competent advice and helpful tips.

Geoff Harris

Ausgrid

When I think of AP Sensing the first thing I think of is reliability. We completely trust and rely on their performance specifications and I know that their technical support team is dedicated and passionate about solving any problems that might come up.

Paul Sanders

Petrospec Engineering

Knowing the technology and market, it is evident to me that AP Sensing is the forerunner in distributed optical sensing. Their solutions reflect a combination of experience and creativity. Experience comes from their HP/Agilent heritage, the leader in test and measurement equipment, with decades of experience in developing and manufacturing extremely reliable and high quality products. The creativity comes from their passion and commitment to solving real customer problems.

David Orr

Protex Systems

When you do business with AP Sensing you get the feeling that you are working together as partners, because they listen to you and understand the challenges of your day-to-day operations. Communication with AP Sensing is always professional and it's obvious that they have the experience and the technical know-how to answer our queries.

Marcin Cichy

Honeywell

AP Sensing's DTS is simply the best fit. We apply it together with ConveySafe in our coal power plants to protect our conveyors. The systems are rugged and completely reliable, need very little power, and can be seamlessly integrated into customer SCADA environments. Best of all, you don't just buy a box from them and that's it -- their post-sales support is outstanding.

Harald Grzybeck

STEAG

The SIL-2 (Safety Integrity Level) rating that AP Sensing has achieved on its DTS gives us the confidence that their solution is going to work as planned, day in and day out, in high-risk environments. Our LNG terminal operators sleep better at night knowing that our assets are protected and security standards are met.

Dr. Stephan Grosswig

GESO

My AP Sensing regional customer support is fantastic: competent, thorough and quick to get back to me. They have been a key player in our complex pipeline projects over the years, and they truly offer through-life product support, from installation and commissioning to training.

Dustin Bow

PENTAIR