Our Projects

The Challenges

Overhead distribution line networks are commonly used in developing countries at the transmission and distribution level across long distances down to the final downstream consumer. In comparison to developed countries, where distribution networks are commonly underground networks.

Throughout Cambodia, overhead lines, pole towers and aging infrastructures are commonly seen within electrical grid networks for residential, industrial and commercial consumers’ connections with overhead lines. Simply, because overhead lines are a cost-effective way to expand the electrical grid network in comparison to costly underground lines. In addition, the process of converting overhead lines into underground can be an expensive and time-consuming process for electric utilities.

The Risks

Unfortunately, overhead lines are vulnerable to a range of risk factors caused by the surrounding environment it is exposed to. Such as damage caused by human accidents and nature i.e vehicle collisions with the overhead line poles, broken insulators, wandering wildlife, pole or line damage due to wear and tear, falling trees, high winds, floods etc.

Thus, the consumer is affected due to a disrupted power supply and high outage time whereby it can be difficult for operators to pin-point and/or sectionalize faults in the electrical grid. Until then, an entire feeder network supplying hundreds or thousands of homes may remain affected without power.

Maintaining over-head line networks without the right insight and timely solution can make it difficult, time consuming and risky for maintenance teams to restore power.

As a result, electric utilities face high OPEX (Operating) & CAPEX (Capital Costs) throughout the short & long-term coupled with lower reliability scores and lost revenues.

Our Solution: The DRC-010

Until, the format of overhead medium-voltage distribution line networks change to underground, the challenges and risks associated with overhead power lines underline the need for a streamlined and data-driven fault management process for electric utilities.

Our Solution is the DRC-010, a GSM Module for overhead lines, earth and short-circuit faults indicator which can be operated via smartphone application and SCADA System (PC) to enable electric utilities to achieve improved reliability scores whilst minimizing safety risks, outage times and reducing costs for 22kV and 35kV medium-voltage distribution line networks.

The DRC-010 device enables operators to easily analyze fault information based on the type of fault detected by the device which is passed instantly onto the operators through our Smart Grid system or smart phone application.

Data-Driven Insights & Better Management of Medium-Voltage Distribution Networks

Through our solution, operators are able to receive instant notifications automatically in the event of faults, earth faults and short-circuits detected on MV lines in addition to receiving data such as reading measurements on the line at any time (i.e current information for each phase (A, B, C) of each line, max current warning, fault type, battery status etc).

Our Solution is the DRC-010, a GSM Module for overhead lines, earth and short-circuit faults indicator which can be operated via smartphone application and SCADA System (PC) to enable electric utilities to achieve improved reliability scores whilst minimizing safety risks, outage times and reducing costs for 22kV and 35kV medium-voltage distribution line networks.

The DRC-010 device enables operators to easily analyze fault information based on the type of fault detected by the device which is passed instantly onto the operators through our Smart Grid system or smart phone application.

The DRC-010 comes in a set of 3 attachable fault indicators for each of the 3 feeders (Above, Middle & Below). The fault indicator can also be located easily through google map views and feature an LED blinking sequence to indicate fault or specific status during onsite inspection for better safety of operators on the ground. The set comes with a small solar panel to support the control box’s battery which supports and communicates between our systems and the fault indicators.

The Results & Benefits For Electric Utilities

As a result through our solution, electrical utilities have been able to drastically reduce time spent on classifying faults, identifying or ‘sectionalizing” fault location and mobilizing maintenance teams to correctly service them and restore power.

The bar-graph below indicates a significant level of cost optimization and OPEX reduction reflected by the before and after data collected by our customers underlining the effectiveness of the solution in outage time reduction across 5 provinces for 5 different customers.

Hence, the DRC-010 has helped increase network reliability by reducing average outage time to 20-30 mins in the event of a fault across these locations. This has also been seen in other locations where the DRC-010 has been installed and commissioned. This is a big step for electric utility operators towards efficiency fault management in Cambodia and realizing higher network reliability for all consumers.