Power and Data Cable Monitoring

Power and Data Cable Monitoring

The Problem

Underground Infrastructure; once installed needs to stand the test of time. In some cases data cables, wires and power transmission lines can be expected to have an operating life from a few decades up to almost a century without the possibility of a visual inspection.
Monitoring for wear, damage or corrosion of the cable is extremely difficult and often power failure or data outage is the first sign of a problem.
Often, these assets are installed in areas that have multiple uses by various stake holders and in the event of a failure or damage can be logistically difficult and expensive to access for repair.
Due to their accessibility when compared to overhead lines, it should also be noted that third party intrusion (both accidental and nefarious) is a much greater threat to buried power transmission lines. Subsequently risk of exposure to Arc Flash from live conductors and potential for electric shock or electrocution are much greater. As well as the possibility for optical cables to be damage leading to extended telecommunication outages.
Additionally performance of these cables is constantly degrading over time due to material and environmental factors. This effect although slow and unpredictable is inevitable and ultimately causes failure of the conductor on optic. Location of these faults is a major challenge and a significant contributor to downtime.
Ultimately to manage these risks a method of around the clock monitoring is required that can be fitted during construction or retrofitted to existing infrastructure. Due to the long runs transmission cables need to cover, traditional instrumentation would need to be installed at regular intervals along the cable run and require supporting infrastructure (power and communications) to each device, an entirely impractical proposal.