Networked Powerline Monitoring System

Electrical power lines are responsible for igniting many of the most devastating wildfires. While these fires often have preventable causes – like foliage that has grown too close, or damaged equipment – with over 600,000 miles of powerlines in the US, existing inspection methods simply cannot identify all such issues. Furthermore, these fires are particularly devastating because they tend to occur in remote, unpopulated areas, and often go undetected until the fire has grown too large for firefighting teams to contain. The proposed powerline monitoring system is a network of data acquisition units mounted on or near high voltage powerlines capable of automatically detecting maintenance needs, fire risk, and fires. Power transmission companies can also use this system for manual on-demand assessment of transmission line conditions across their entire grid, with the automated monitoring system providing a notification for any critical events. The system also collects data (like images, weather, and GPS coordinates) that can be sent to fire departments the instant a fire starts. This Phase 1 proposal focuses on a plan to progress prototype units into pole-mountable demonstration units for a real-world demonstration of their capabilities in early Phase II. Phase I also implements the necessary software for automated fire detection and maintenance assessment, while developing a networked framework that supports remote access to all sensors for the end user. The proposed networked powerline monitoring system allows for more frequent and cheaper inspection of lines, including during power loss or shutdown due to weather, supporting a faster and safer restarting of the grid. A similar sensor platform to the one proposed will also be offered to firefighters in a portable format. The combination of local deployable sensors, with the vast network of powerline mounted ones will provide the crucial real-time data necessary to improve the predictions of where a fire will spread. The reduced incidence of fires from targeted maintenance, paired with the early warnings and mitigated severity of wildfires, will save lives while reducing economic losses. The resulting reduction in harm to human health, animal welfare, and our environment also cannot be overstated.