Public Funding for Ipec Limited

During the Covid-19 pandemic, there are currently travel restrictions and local quarantine requirements which does not allow commercially viable any onsite commissioning services. Hence, there are no commissioning of Partial Discharge (PD) installations currently being performed and thus electricity network companies are increasingly concerned that their networks are not being monitored, and no warnings or alerts to any potential future network failures. The commissioning process is critical in any PD installation project. It ensures the installation of equipment and systems is checked and tested, working safely and efficiently, test results are in accordance with any local standards, and to ensure it meets/exceeds customers' requirements specifications. Occasionally, this also involves investigating problems and repairing any faults, performing testing and analysis, producing test and commissioning documents. IPEC proposes to develop a commissioning and diagnostics package that will allow local engineers to perform the technically complex task of commissioning or maintaining a PD monitoring system. The innovation is unique as this addresses the current PD industry commissioning methods of sending skilled PD engineers to customers' installation sites globally that no other PD company has been able to develop and resolve due to the technical complex testing required. The new commissioning package will significantly reduce international travel thus contributing towards net zero carbon emissions whilst also influencing the quality of life e.g. physical health, social connection, satisfying employment, and levels of equality, whilst increasing revenue from customers preferring to use eco-friendly suppliers and less dependency on skilled PD engineers required onsite.

To develop a system that can detect defects in High Voltage (HV) underground cables and associated accessories in order that maintenance can be carried out before the cable or accessory failure occurs. The system will monitor industry standard parameters of asset condition but with innovative application of new technology will allow condition monitoring of assets which previously either could not be monitored or not cost effective. One of primary conditional indicators to be monitored is partial discharge (PD) that occur at defects in the insulation systems. These PDs create tiny current and voltage pulses that can be picked up at distances of up to four kilometres by highly sensitive PD sensors. The developed technology will allow these signals to be located in order that preventative maintenance can be carried out in a timely manner. Additionally, the system will monitor various other parameters of the HV cable such as sheath voltage, leakage current and voltage spikes which all aid in the assessment of asset condition. By combining the various parameters, trending of data and proactively repairing assets, the system will reduce the occurrences of power failures in High Voltage networks and improve the performance of regional and national power networks which communities in developing countries rely on.

Awaiting Public Project Summary

To develop servitisation business models and growth and communication strategies to exploit service products in overseas markets

Partial Discharge (PD) is a pre-breakdown phenomenon that occurs in cables, switchgear and accessories. IPEC have pioneered PD monitoring technology as a tool for use in asset management over the last 8 years, largely in collaboration with EDF Energy on their London and South East based distribution network. As the technology has developed and markets evolved it has become apparent that the most compelling business case for installation of permanent monitoring is on high criticality circuits where a failure would pose safety concerns or have a high financial impact. As a result IPEC’s strongest sales have been in the industrial sector and in particular process plants for instance, chemical plants, steel plants and semi-conductor fabs. In order to do this we have developed very sophisticated data acquisition and analysis algorithms that can detect the small PD signals in very high background noise. Much of IPEC’s business has been overseas into regions investing in manufacturing so although gross margins on the technology are high so are the costs of sale. A typical installation for a single substation may cost in the region of £25-35K. With the high and rapidly increasing investment in off-shore wind farms around the UK, IPEC have identified an opportunity to bring the benefits PD monitoring to offshore asset management. The working environment of the high voltage network connecting wind turbines is harsh, increasing the likelihood of defects and failure. In addition the cost of repairing a failed component and the consequential damages are very high. By permanently monitoring the network of subsea cables and switchgear that interconnect the turbines, the asset operators will be able to identify and very accurately locate defects before a failure occurs. In many cases this will allow preventative maintenance to be carried out thus avoiding failure altogether. Off-shore wind farms generally have a 20 year design lifetime and it is estimated that the cost of this monitoring technology would be offset by avoiding just two failures over this period.