Utilities facing rising electricity demand may be able to increase the performance of existing transmission systems by combining fiber-optic sensing, artificial intelligence and dynamic line ratings, according to Tiffany Menhorn of Prisma Photonics.
Prisma’s approach uses fiber-optic cables already installed on high-voltage transmission infrastructure. Menhorn said much of that fiber sits inside the shield wire above the conductors and was originally installed for utility communications and relay systems. The company uses the fiber as a continuous sensing network rather than adding individual sensors along every span.
The technology applies distributed acoustic sensing and distributed temperature sensing. Light is sent through the fiber and changes in the signal are analyzed to identify conditions along the transmission line. Menhorn said the system can provide information at the span level, giving operators continuous coverage across the monitored section of the grid.
One major application is dynamic line rating. Traditional static ratings use conservative assumptions about the conditions under which a transmission line must operate. Actual carrying capacity varies with weather. Wind, in particular, cools the conductor and can allow it to safely carry more electricity. Prisma uses its sensing data to calculate effective wind speed and support dynamic ratings that reflect real operating conditions.
That information can help utilities increase capacity on existing lines when conditions allow. Menhorn said the same platform can also help detect icing, extreme winds, vegetation contact, fires and other events that affect reliability and resilience. Artificial intelligence and deep-learning models are used to interpret the large volume of data produced by the fiber network.
The technology is arriving as utilities confront a new period of load growth. Menhorn said electricity demand was relatively stagnant for decades, but the system is now under pressure from new large loads and broader electrification. At the same time, new transmission infrastructure cannot always be built quickly enough to meet near-term needs.
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That puts greater emphasis on technologies that optimize assets already in service. Menhorn said grid-enhancing technologies can provide incremental increases in capacity at a fraction of the cost of some larger infrastructure upgrades, while also giving operators better information for reliability and maintenance decisions.
The technology does not eliminate the need for new transmission. Distribution upgrades will also be required as more rooftop solar, batteries, electric vehicles and other distributed resources connect to the power system. Menhorn compared bulk transmission to a highway: grid-enhancing technologies can help open another lane, but continued growth will eventually require additional infrastructure.
For utilities, the near-term opportunity is to combine physical expansion with better use of existing assets. As the grid becomes more digital, real-time sensing and artificial intelligence could increasingly determine how much electricity existing infrastructure can safely deliver.
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