Distributed Optical Sensor System for Comprehensive Power System Equipment Monitoring

This paper is devoted to brief description of new yet having well proven track record experience of distributed fully passive optical sensors system application in the field of accurate, highly sensitive, adoptable and flexible measurement technology for power system equipment monitoring by means of real time current, voltage, temperature, vibration and strain data gathering. Both transmission and distribution power system application examples are discussed. Obstacles and ways of their overcoming are addressed, as well as practical on-hand international implementation experience in various countries (Scotland, Norway) mentioned. Investigation of several operation and maintenance functions for the relay protection systems, namely - fault location and multi-ended differential protection, executable smartly via usage of optical sensors system, carried out. Farther technology implementation for optical current and voltage sensing (as primary pattern) and strain measurement coupled with temperature and vibration (as secondary one) reviewed as a new step of power system equipment comprehensive monitoring and processes digitalization.