Insulation Condition Monitoring in Distribution Power Grid via IoT-Based Sensing Network

Insulation condition monitoring is essential for the safety of our distribution power grid. However, the traditional monitoring solution is hardly applied due to the concerns that arise from natures of distribution grid, such as complex feeder networks, massive operation site, and high economic benefit. In this paper, a wireless sensing network based on Internet of things (IoT) technology is demonstrated for insulation condition perception. First of all, the general framework of the wireless sensing network is designed with considerations on extendibility and accessibility. Next, it goes into detail about the technical requirements of the essential units of the sensing network including sensor node, power management, and data communication. With this concept, two practical cases of IoT-based partial discharge sensing networks realized on the switchgear cabinet and power cable are presented with details involving the design of transient earth voltage and high frequency current sensor nodes, the energy consumption, Lora/NB-IoT-based network structures, and data usage strategies. This IoT-based insulation condition monitoring is proven to be applicable for the distribution grid and expected to be referenced for more possible IoT applications.