POWER January 2013 - 24

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
turn in place, and move forward, backward,
and sideways.
Ongoing technology development focuses
on the mini-robot's payload and
wireless communications system. The
payload is expected to include two cameras.
The first will support real-time navigation
and visual examination by the robot
operator; the second will capture higherresolution
imaging data for subsequent
inspection, nondestructive evaluation, and
asset management applications.
Optimizing wireless communications
for submersed use poses challenges. Water
attenuates most frequencies, and systems
and components pose complex configurations.
A novel system is being explored
that combines optical communication capable
of high data rates at a distance with
radio communication capable of two-way
data exchange when line of sight is lost between
the mini-robot and its controller.
A next-generation prototype is under
development, and experimental testing of
its improved visual inspection capabilities
is scheduled to begin in late 2013. A fully
functional mini-robot could be available
by 2015 for in-plant demonstration.
Autonomous Transmission Line Inspection
Robot. Managing overhead
transmission lines-including towers,
conductors, and insulators, as well as corridors-is
a costly and challenging proposition.
Utilities must meet increasingly
stringent reliability and vegetation management
standards, but many circuits are
approaching the end of their design lifetimes
and are located in remote and rugged
environments. Fly-by and ground inspections
have limitations, and some equipment
is extremely difficult to inspect. The
autonomous transmission line inspection
robot integrates mobility, sensing, imaging,
power harvesting, communications,
and other innovations to generate the comprehensive,
high-fidelity data required for
condition-based maintenance. It is capable
of crawling over conductor shield wires
and carrying a payload to allow autonomous
inspection of transmission corridor
segments up to 80 miles long at least twice
annually (Figure 4).
In 2010, EPRI initiated conceptual
development of the transmission line inspection
robot, designed to run largely on
power harvested from shield wires. Highdefinition
cameras and LIDAR (light detection
and ranging) sensors will assess
component condition, identify trees that
could pose a risk to wires, and measure
conductor clearance by comparing images
taken over time. Electromagnetic interference
detectors will identify discharge
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activity and other indicators of faulty
equipment.
The robot also will be equipped to
collect data as it passes instrumentation
deployed on towers and wires, such as
EPRI-developed radio-frequency sensors
for monitoring vibration, lightning strikes,
wind-related damage, and corrosive conditions.
Data processing, global positioning,
and communications systems will analyze
and deliver time- and location-stamped
data and images to maintenance personnel.
High-risk issues and potential problems
that require further investigation or
immediate action will be flagged, guiding
condition-based intervention.
A first-generation technology demonstration
platform has been undergoing
refinement on a test loop at EPRI's laboratory
in Lenox, Mass., and individual
subsystems have been advanced in the
field and experimental settings. These
activities-conducted in close collaboration
with a commercial vendor and member
utilities-have informed design and
construction of a next-generation robot
offering mobility, energy management,
imaging, sensing, data management, analysis,
alarming, and communications capabilities.
A real-world demonstration on a
line segment made " robot-ready " by a host
utility is planned for this year. Field trial
experiences will inform full-scale commercial
demonstration on a 40-mile-long
transmission circuit.
The transmission line inspection robot
is expected to revolutionize transmission
asset management by expanding coverage
and delivering actionable information
while reducing or eliminating the need for
helicopter overflights and ground patrols.
On-board systems will collect, analyze,
and deliver data to enhance compliance
with reliability and vegetation manage4.
High wire act. The inspection robot
is capable of crawling over conductor shield
wires and carrying a payload to allow autonomous
inspection of transmission corridor
segments up to 80 miles long at least twice
annually. Courtesy: EPRI
ment standards and support just-in-time
intervention. This technology is expected
to improve inspection and monitoring
capabilities and worker safety relative to
hovering helicopters at cost savings expected
to be at least 30%. More importantly,
the robot will enable proactive,
condition-based maintenance of high-value
transmission assets, a smart grid capability
supporting long-term operations and
leading to significant cost reductions and
reliability improvements.
Smart Energy
Residential consumption typically represents
a significant portion of peak electric
loads, but incorporating major end-use
technologies such as space conditioning
and water heating in demand-response
(DR) programs has proven challenging for
a variety of reasons. Consumer inconvenience
and cost, the diversity of end uses
and utility systems, and the incompatibilities
between them are among the most significant
barriers to DR participation.
Building on years of work to advance
interoperability standards across transmission
and distribution systems, an EPRI-led
initiative launched in 2008 engaged more
than 100 product manufacturers, utilities,
and other organizations in documenting
the need and developing early specifications
for a smart grid interface for residential
loads. EPRI built the modular DR
connector to specification, developed a
plug-in communications module with DR
capabilities, and integrated them with enduse
device controls in coordination with
selected manufacturers. Interoperability
tests were conducted on space conditioning,
water heating, and other modified
products, and findings were submitted
to the Consumer Electronics Association
(CEA) for standardization of a communications
interface designed for smart grid
integration of residential loads.
As a port incorporated in end-use technologies,
the modular DR connector is
designed to facilitate a " plug-and-play "
approach for direct information exchange
and interoperability among utility communications
systems and the wide array
of consumer devices sold in retail outlets.
It could enable low-cost engagement of
residential consumers in load management
programs across a range of end uses.
Manufacturers may be able to add grid-interactive
features and the communications
port to their product lines without being
constrained by compatibility concerns.
DR-ready devices will be available off the
shelf, enabling consumers to enroll simply
by inserting a utility-compliant communiPOWER
| January 2013
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POWER January 2013

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