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NTK has unveiled a new cable monitoring solution, integrating multiple sensors and combining technologies to provide an overview of power cable conditions for more reliable power cable grids.
The platform combines data from various sensors and technologies, such as vessel location, acoustic sensing around the cable, depth of burial of the cable under the seabed, and conductor temperature.
By analysing integrated data, the platform detects suspicious activities, such as slow-moving vessels, fishing equipment, or anchors near the cable, potential risks for damage. When one or more parameters exceed predefined thresholds, the platform triggers an alert helping those monitoring the cable to take potential remediation actions and strengthen the grid’s resilience.
Root Cause Analysis Support
Understanding the cause of infrastructure failures is crucial for both power cable owners and public authorities. When an incident occurs, having access to detailed data can aid in determining the responsible party and preventing future issues.
Stefan Persson, Director, Cable Monitoring Solutions, Service & Installation at NKT, stated, “By gathering alarm data, including vessel movements and acoustic data, the system can support the root cause analysis of the damage. In the short run, it can pinpoint potential responsible parties, and in the long run, it can help improve situational awareness around the cable.”
Product images of water cable, ABB HVC.
Photo: Gustav MŒrtensson / ABB
Ensuring Continuous Power Cable Operation
The platform includes features that provide cable owners with detailed information about how the cable is performing as well as documentation, information from marine survey inspections, current stockpiling status of spare parts, and notifications for replacing parts nearing expiry. This proactive approach helps in identifying focus areas to ensure the cable remains operational and improves the overall level of preparedness and the ability to take preventive measures.
Persson continued, “Our solution enhances the ability to monitor and safeguard power cables but also helps cable owners prepare for and mitigate potential failures. Reducing outage times for a cable includes readiness in case a critical situation occurs. On a practical level, it can be crucial that the cable owner has access to relevant spare parts if a cable is damaged.”
About the Cable Monitoring Platform
NKT’s cable monitoring solution is set to modernise the way power cables are managed, offering safeguarding and increasing reliability. The system combines and creates alerts based on multiple data points, including:
- Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)
- Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS)
- Automatic Identification System (AIS)
- Depth of Burial (DoB)
Designed for both on- and offshore cables with fibre-optics, the platform leverages the fibre-optic cable within the power cable as well as vessel positioning technology to gather and analyse data effectively. This ensures that the monitoring system is robust and capable of providing accurate and timely information.
Persson commented, “Our new cable monitoring platform represents a significant advancement in ensuring the reliability and safety of power cables. By integrating multiple sensors into a single platform, we can provide situational awareness and proactive monitoring, which is crucial for maintaining up-time and preventing damage.”
