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Hybrid Optoelectronic Sensor for Current and Temperature Monitoring in Overhead Transmission Lines
Fbio Vieira Batista de Nazar and Marcelo Martins Werneck
Abstract-- This letter describes the development of a hybrid optoelectronic current and temperature sensor for evaluating the sag of conductors in high voltage transmission lines. This 4 kg portable current transformer was developed using alternative materials to the heavy items that constitute a conventional transformer: iron core, copper coil and insulating ceramics. The system uses reliably proven electronic technology to measure temperature and current, while using fiber-optic technology to energize the electronic circuitry and transmit the signals back via optical fibers. The data collected, together with the sag information, will provide support for the development of an algorithm for the estimation of conductor-sag values.
Index Terms-- Current sensor, optical fiber, power-over-fiber, sag, transmission line, optoelectronic sensor.

I. INTRODUCTION ransmission lines (TL) capacity is the maximum amount of energy or current capable of flowing through the line. When the demand for energy increases, technicians dont raise the current above the designed limit due to concerns about infringing safety standards and affecting performance, such as wire temperature and sag (conductor-to-ground distance). The sag is an important TL parameter, since it is directly related to the current: the higher the current, the higher the conductor temperature. This leads to thermal expansion and consequently, the conductor-to-ground distance decreases. Nevertheless, the conductor temperature does not depend only on the current. It is strongly dependent on environmental features such as wind velocity and direction, air temperature, pollution, rain and snow conditions, and on cable construction [1]. So, TL maximum sag characteristic is always determined by considering the worst possible case and always aiming at the best safety conditions. The idea behind this project is that the temperature of the conductor depends on current and weather conditions, but the sag only depends on the conductor temperature, regardless of weather conditions. Therefore, a system capable of measuring the temperature of the conductor, together with the current flowing through it would help technicians determine whether the sag is beyond the safety restrictions, regardless of the current or weather conditions. The final objective of this project is to provide support for the development of an algorithm for the estimation of sag values, using collected temperature data together with sag information, One of the advantages of using fiber optic-based sensors in a highvoltage (HV) environment is that the sensors are connected to the interrogation unit by an optical fiber which is made of dielectric materials, so the interrogation system is completely insulated from the HV area. Recently, the feasibility of collecting energy from a high current conductor in the form of a magnetic field, in order to

run a small local power supply [2], has been demonstrated. This solution works very well for high current transmission lines but there are cases in which the current goes down beyond the capacity of producing any magnetic field strong enough to drive a power supply. In 1997 it has been presented a photonic powered set-up for intelligent sensors [3], where the sensor was separated from the intelligent control. However, at that time, the photovoltaic cells were very inefficient and, in addition, laser sources were expensive, factors which restricted the system design. A system using two optical fiber cables for both powering and signal transmission is shown in [4] in which the power consumption of a few microwatts is generated by an ordinary laser diode coupled to a multimode (MM) optical fiber. Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) has shown to be an appropriate solution for HV measurements and we have seen good examples of their applications in the measurements of temperature inside HV equipment [5]. This technology, although reliable, does not meet the cost requirements of the current situation, since in a long HV TL there are hundreds of sags to be monitored that would need hundreds of optical systems or, alternatively, one optical fiber cable to go along the line. Both situations are ruled out when we think of the cost to deploy, operate and maintain these systems. This letter describes a hybrid optoelectronic current and temperature sensor probe (HOCT) for sag monitoring of conductors in HV TL. To make measurements, the system uses reliably proven electronic technology which do not require complex demodulation techniques making the overall cost of a single piece of equipment, including deployment and production expenses, reduced. Photonic technology energizes the electronic circuitry and transmits the signals back via optical fibers. The whole system was appropriately packed to be used in field. The data collected, together with the sag information, will provide support for the development of an algorithm for the estimation of conductor-sag values. II. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION AND TESTS The HOCT is composed of two subsystems: one at ground potential and one at HV (up to 138 kV). The one located at HV is an instrument suite composed of a Rogowski current sensor, a temperature sensor, a photovoltaic converter, a lowpower microcontroller with serial output and an 850 nm LED fiber-optic transmitter (Fig. 1). In this way current and temperature are measured, digitized, processed and sent to the receiving system at ground potential by a MM fiber. The HV subsystem is optically powered by the ground potential subsystem in which a power diode laser injects 1 W @ 830 nm light power into another MM optical fiber. At the high potential level, the laser light hits a high efficiency multijunction photovoltaic cell (MJPV) of about 40% efficiency producing about 300 mW, enough to power all electronic

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This article has been accepted for publication in a future issue of this journal, but has not been fully edited. Content may change prior to final publication.

circuits. Fig. 2 shows the output power generated as the load impedance varies from short circuit to open circuit, for six different laser currents (IL). For IL = 2.5 A, for example, the MJPV generates about 300 mW @ 3.5 V and the circuit consumes about 90 mA.

protection established by IP65 enclosures, the test involves subjecting the fully operational prototype to a continuous jet of water projected from a nozzle. The system operated properly during the test, not showing any faults due to the extreme humidity. III. DEPLOYMENT After the tests the system was deployed during a 3-hourshut-down window granted to us by the National System Operator. The HOCT was installed at the 69 kV TL operated by Rio Grande Energia, in the city of Caxias do Sul (Fig. 3).

Fig. 1. Block diagram of the system. The two sub-systems are inter-connected only by two optical fibers.

Fig. 3. HOCT field deployment: A) 69 kV polymeric optical fiber insulator; B) Optical fiber cables; C) High voltage circuits enclosure.

Fig. 2. Power produced by the MJPV as a function of laser current (IL).

Notice that even being a perfect insulator, the fiber-optic cable can conduct superficial leakage currents since it is exposed to environmental pollutants such as dust, smoke, saline atmosphere etc. Therefore, the optical fibers have to pass through a hollow core 138 kV polymeric insulator with an appropriated creeping distance, according to the IEC standard IEC/TS 60815 [6]. Five systemic tests were performed: current calibration; temperature calibration; electromagnetic compatibility (EMI); enclosure protection against water under IP65 protection code and HV supportability under saline rain. For current calibration a current loop, adjusted by a variable transformer, simultaneously excited the prototype sensor and a calibrated current probe. The calibration range was from 100 to 650 ARMS, consistent with the TL where the system was installed. The temperature was calibrated by an oil bath in the range of 10 C to 90 C which was also consistent with local temperature. The current and temperature correlation coefficients were 0.9999 and 0.9995, respectively. The uncertainties were 0.23 A at 500 A and 0.01 C at 40 C, both for a 95% confidence interval. The EMI test was carried out in our laboratory for a magnetic field equivalent to a current of 1000 A, well above the TL maximum current and an electric field equivalent to a voltage of 25 kV, which is well below the nominal voltage of the TL, about 40 kV phaseto-ground (equivalent to 69 kV phase-to-phase). The reason for this was the maximum voltage limitation of our HV rig. The test for HV supportability under saline rain was performed according to [7]. In order to assure the rate of

However, just a few minutes after deployment the prototype presented faults due to the proximity of high electric field and data stopped being sent to the base station. The microcontroller situated near the HV showed a high susceptibility to EMI. IV. MALFUNCTIONING MITIGATION A new prototype was built inside a metallic box with all negative voltages inside the enclosure grounded to the box, therefore shielding the electronic circuitry against the HV electric field. Then, the system was taken to an accredited laboratory (CEPELElectrical Energy Research Center, located in Rio de Janeiro) to test it against EMI, this time up to 138 kV. The prototype performed very well without any failure. The system is now operational and waiting for the next installation window in order to monitor current and temperature against sag. It is expected that the data collected, together with the sag information, will provide support for the development of an algorithm for the estimation of conductorsag values. V. REFERENCES
[1] [2] D. A. Douglas and R. Thrash, Sag and tension of Conductor The Electric Power Engineering Handbook, CRC Press/IEEE Press, 2007. L. Du, C. Wang, X. Li, L. Yang, Y. Mi and C. Sun, A novel power supply of online monitoring systems for power transmission lines, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 57 , issue 8, pp. 28892895, 2010. M. R. Al-Mohanadi, J. N. Ross and J. E. Brignell, Optical power and intelligent sensors, Sensors and Actuators A, 60, pp. 142 146, 1997. S. J. Pember, C. M. France and B. E. Jones, "A multiplexed network of optically powered addressed and interrogated hybrid resonant sensors", Sensors and Actuators A, 46-47, pp 474-477, 1995. R.C. S. B. Allil, M. M. Werneck, Optical high-voltage sensor based on fiber bragg grating and PZT piezoelectric ceramics, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, Volume: 60 Issue 6, pages: 2118 2125, June 2011. IEC/TS 60815, Selection and dimensioning of high-voltage insulators intended for use in polluted conditions, International Electrotechnical Commission, 2008. IEC Publication 507, "Artificial contamination tests on HV insulators to be used on AC systems", 1991.

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