Background and Objectives
An important question related to the reliable and cost-effective supply of electricity is the prevention of failure of substation assets such as transformers and breakers. Performance of substation assets is very important, and the open research question is: Can these assets be effectively inspected on-line 24/7 by a mobile autonomous substation robotic technology to prevent unscheduled outages and unexpected failure? The results of this research would be of direct public benefit through improved reliability of electricity supply and could provide a technology solution for online inspection for real-time assessment without personnel being onsite.
New Learnings
The proposed activity would generate substantial new learnings on the feasibility of continuous substation asset inspection utilizing technologies such as mobile robotic platform. The project will also provide greater understanding what sensor technologies could be feasible and relevant for 24/7 inspection, including what the required maintenance and associated cost would be to maintain such technology in an unmanned substation environment.
Estimated Period of Performance
The project scheduled duration is expected to last for two years. Additional phases may be considered based on the progress of the R&D.
FAQ
Does this project deal with new payload investigation? Yes, one of the tasks in this project will include to research relevant sensor packages for substation asset inspection and to integrate into the robot.
Does this project include Robot’s analytical skills such as Autonomously defect detection, Thermal anomaly detection, etc..? No, the scope of this project is only till researching the platform and payloads. The good news is there is another supplemental that is looking into Robot analytics.
Engagement Opportunities
| Activity Name | Description | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Final Report | 31st December 2023 |
| WebEx Project Update | Project Summary & Wrap Up | 14th December 2023 |
| WebEx Project Update | Payload Testing Results | 19th October 2023 |
| Demo at Lenox | Acoustic Imager SV600 Test | 21st - 23rd August 2023 |
| WebEx Project update | Finalizing the test plan for Payload | 13th July 2023 |
| WebEx Project update | Pay Load Test Plan Development | 1st June 2023 |
| Spring Task Force | In-person Session - Charlotte, NC | 15th March 2023 |
| Advisory | EPRI's Research Strategy in Robotics & UAS research | 22nd February 2023 |
| Project Phase 2 Begins | ||
| WebEx Project update | Summary Results of Phase 1 | 3rd August 2022 |
| Demo at Lenox | Testing Spot at UAS Yard and in Rain at Lenox | 23rd June 2022 |
| WebEx Project update | Indro Robotics Testing Results | 18th May 2022 |
| Demo at Lenox | Indro Robotics Testing at Lenox | 25th-29th April 2022 |
| WebEx Project update | Ghost Robotics Testing Results | 21st April 2022 |
| Demo at Lenox | Ghost Robotics Testing at Lenox | 4th-8th April 2022 |
| WebEx Project update | NV5 Robot Testing Results | 15th December 2021 |
| Demo at Lenox | NV5 Robot Testing at Lenox | 15th-19th November 2021 |
| WebEx Project update | Spot Robot Testing Results | 20th August 2021 |
| Demo at Lenox | Spot Robot Testing at Lenox | 26th-30th July 2021 |
| WebEx Project Meeting | Test Plan Update | 10th June 2021 |
| WebEx Project Meeting | Discussion of Robot Features | 6th April 2021 |
| Project Phase 1 Begins | ||
| WebEx Project Meeting | Discussion of Robot Features Survey Results | |
| WebEx Project Meeting | List of Available Technologies |