Testing Wireless Networks Featured Article

On-Ramp Wireless and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, SEL, announced the completion of a successful field test with a Western utility company within their distribution network.

On-Ramp Wireless is the developer of the first wireless system purpose-built to efficiently connect billions of hard-to-reach devices in metro scale and other challenging environments, the company said.

The field test demonstrated the ability to connect wireless sensors throughout the distribution grid, significantly reducing time to isolate, repair, and restore service to consumers.

Wireless Sensors for Overhead Lines or “WSO” from SEL were combined with a fully integrated On-Ramp Ultra-Link Processing or “ULP” wireless communication system.

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories designs, manufactures, and supports a complete line of products and services for the protection, monitoring, control, automation, and metering of electric power systems.

The sensor monitored real-time fault indication and condition data, including average hourly load and momentary event counters at varying intervals. This enabled a complete view of the distribution grid performance. The results can be used for rapid and precise fault location. Predictive maintenance, grid automation, long-term grid efficiency and capital planning are also possible with the results, company officials said.

The field test covered about a 200 square mile territory that included mountainous terrain and provided wireless communication with overhead distribution wireless sensors. Company officials said the field test, conducted on the utility’s operational distribution grid, showed a 100 percent status and event report delivery rate during the entire duration of the study in a 24x7 real world high interference environment.

The status and event data generated by the wireless sensor were delivered by On-Ramp’s ULP communication system during the course of the field test. Messages were communicated every eight hours during normal operation and real time on fault or alarm condition.

A secure Web Services Application provides information including fault status and threshold, average load, and temperature trends for the reporting period. This gives the utility the insight needed to quickly respond to faults and make decisions and plans for future changing grid conditions.

The ULP Access Points successfully communicated with battery-operated wireless sensors, located 3-8 miles from the access point during the test, company officials said.

“The WSO is a distribution automation sensor that stores load and temperature data as it monitors the distribution line for loss of voltage, loss of current, and faults,” Daniel F. Clifford, general manager of the SEL fault indicator and sensor division, said. “This sensor transmits reports, in this case in conjunction with On-Ramp’s ULP system, helping utility personnel locate faults more quickly and easily.”

In March On-Ramp Wireless announced a partnership with NURI Telecom to develop a cost-efficient single technology wireless network metering solution. The solution will enable connectivity for hard-to-reach meters, which can represent up to 10 percent of a single Smart Grid meter deployment, to help Smart Grid suppliers ensure 100 percent connectivity.