Optics11 and Sedatec have a successful partnership in providing the most innovative solutions for partial discharge monitoring of high voltage assets.
So, how did it start and how is it going?
“OptiFender is one of the examples of the need for high-end fiber optic acoustic measurement systems. Our unique technology together with the field experience and network of Sedatec will help to further grow this market and I am looking forward to strengthen our collaboration the upcoming years”, says Mark Jacobs, CCO Optics11.
Meet Sedatec
Sedatec is a technological service company that operates within the energy, transport, oil and gas, and construction industries in Russia and CIS. Fiber optic technology became one of the main enablers behind their monitoring systems and now the company invests in enlarging the scope of their projects. Sedatec’s mission is to combine innovations with their expertise to help clients sustain leadership on the market and contribute to the effective planning of asset maintenance. One of Sedatec’s focus areas is ensuring smooth operations of energy companies and high voltage assets owners.
Challenge: On a lookout for a passive solution for partial discharge monitoring
Working with high-voltage asset owners, Sedatec often needs to provide a solution for detecting and monitoring partial discharge – a common problem affecting medium and high voltage environments. Most of the monitoring systems available on the market are electrical, which come with serious limitations when applied on the field. For years, Sedatec used more traditional PD monitoring systems including acoustic and HFCT sensors with coaxial couplings. However, there were two major issues the company experienced using these classic monitoring solutions:
- Classic coaxial cables limit significantly the maximum distance between the sensors and the acquisition unit. Such distance is usually limited to 30-40 meters resulting into a more complex and expensive implementation of the system.
- Relying on electrical conductive cables to transmit signals, classic sensors may accumulate electrical charge which eventually leads to a failure of the whole monitoring system.
Realizing these challenges, Sedatec started looking for a non-electric solution that would be capable of covering long distances. In other words, Sedatec needed a solution that would allow them to go far and safe.
OptiFender – Partial Discharge monitoring solution
Solution: OptiFender brings out the best properties of fiber optics
Sedatec found out about Optics11 innovative offerings using fiber optic technology, and specifically – OptiFender – a solution that delivers all the benefits of a passive system while offering state-of-the-art performance. Fiber optic technology is a natural fit for harsh environments due to its passive nature.
Discovering OptiFender brought Sedatec and Optics11 to a successful collaboration on delivering the benefit to the final customer and now there are more than 200 signals per second generated by already installed systems.
“OptiFender allowed us to solve the main limitations and now we are able to benefit from long-distance coverage and EMI immunity. After trying out of the first OptiFender system, we were happy about the results and proceeded to use OptiFender for a number of current projects,” says I. Matychenkov, Sedatec .
WHAT ARE PARTIAL DISCHARGES?
Partial discharges (PD) are small electrical sparks that occur within the insulation of electrical components. They are evidence of a degrading insulation system that could lead to breakdown and costly repairs. If it is not detected timely, partial discharge can cause unexpected outages, result in unplanned maintenance and replacement of equipment.
