CableBooster maximizes medium-voltage network capacity
The energy transition requires smart solutions and that is precisely what the innovation project CableBooster seeks to offer. Technolution, Alliander Innovation, and Grid to Great have begun a partnership to develop an innovative system to monitor the temperature of medium-voltage cables. The object is to make better use of the capacity of the power grid. The consortium is striving for a potential capacity gain of no less than 20 to 30 percent – a big step in the struggle against grid congestion.
Grid congestion and cable temperatures
Overload on the electricity network leads to grid congestion. Cable temperatures play a central role in this; the higher the load on a cable, the hotter it gets. When a cable or transformer overheats, it can sustain damage or even stop working altogether. There are more than a hundred thousand kilometers of underground medium-voltage cables in the Netherlands. Up till now, grid operators had no means to permanently monitor cable temperatures, and therefore applied wide safety margins to prevent overheating. The result is that a lot of cable capacity is probably not being used optimally.
CableBooster can change this. The system uses advanced technology to offer real-time insight into the temperature of medium-voltage cables. This means grid operators can possibly work with smaller margins and begin to make optimal use of the actually available network capacity.
Time-Domain Reflectometry
The technology of CableBooster is based on Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR). An electrical signal is emitted from one end of the cable. Using advanced algorithms, we then translate the reflection of the signal into cable temperature. The electronic circuits of the CableBooster allow by measuring the reflections with extremely high accuracy. In a 4-kilometer medium-voltage cable, this allows us to determine the temperature per segment of 10 meters.
Boost for the energy transition
The potential capacity gain of 20–30 percent can give the energy transition a huge boost. The planned reinforcement of the energy networks will certainly continue, but thanks to the CableBooster, the energy transition will possibly not have to wait until this is complete. Grid operators can apply the system immediately, within the existing legal framework, to actively manage grid congestion. CableBooster can give the power grid and the energy transition the boost they need.
About the CableBooster consortium
The development consortium set up for the CableBooster brings together a lot of experience. Technolution has a proven track record in developing industrial electronics and software. Grid to Great develops products for the digitization of electricity infrastructure, to international success. And Alliander Innovatie has a great deal of knowledge on medium-voltage cables, and specifically on cable heating. Launching customer Liander can expedite the development and thus strongly enhance CableBooster’s value to society.
This innovation project is supported by the RVO through its SBIR program (Small Business Innovation Research) and by Alliander Innovatie.
