Ross Robotics’ Post

Great to be involved with this fantastic promotion of UK innovation!

2 of 2 this week…

As we complete our final testing at Elia Group's ALEGrO HVDC converter station, before leaving the robot in the energised HVDC valve hall for another year of operations, it makes me wonder how long before all transmission system operators will be incorporating robotic dynamic remote condition monitoring as a matter of normal practice into their HVDC operating environments... Like so many other industries in this 'Industry 4.0' world, forward thinking TSOs, like Elia Group, 50Hertz Transmission GmbH, Nemo Link Limited, and Réseau de Transport d'Électricité (RTE) are starting to reap the benefits of increasing digitisation in their operations. The use of fixed sensors is given in these environments, but augmenting those with robot-mounted dynamic sensors that can autonomously monitor large areas filled with dense with complex systems and difficult to see components, with AI-driven analytics that alerts human operators to potential anomalies, is extremely powerful. Greater coverage and more detailed, comprehensive, and repeatable data collection powers ever-better AI analysis as these systems learn, and this all adds up to a better understanding of the structural health, condition, and operational status of these critical infrastructure assets, enhancing reliability, maintenance planning, and uptime. What's not to love about all that.

Final few test inspection runs with 50Hertz Transmission GmbH prior to live operation when the Kontek HVDC Interconnector is energised…… #hvdc #autonomousinspection #tso #renewable #high_voltage #energy #electricity #transmission #interconnection #robot #inspection #automation #energytransition #digitisation #maintenance #robotics #gridtechnology #renewableenergy #renewables #predictivemaintenance

Our second of two deployments this week in Europe is with Elia Group at the ALEGrO HVDC converter station near Lixhe in Belgium (and we have a second team out this week at the Kontek HVDC Converter Station near Bentwisch in Germany, operated by 50 Hertz).   This time, we revisit one of our first deployments for its annual checkup and service. Our systems are deployed in HVDC Converter Halls and DC Halls to provide real-time autonomous condition monitoring in the harsh environment of the Valve Halls and DC Halls. Unlike many other Hv facilities, such as substations and switchyards, humans cannot enter the HVDC Valve Hall during operations, so the deployment of autonomous robots, equipped with a suite of smart sensors, allows operators to gain greater visibility into the condition of critical components and connectors, without the need for costly, time-consuming, and disruptive interruptions. The system helps to detect potential issues in the hall, so reducing the risk of unexpected outages and minimising its downtime for ad hoc repair work to be carried out, and this helps maximise the operation time of the converter hall and supports the continuous flow of green electricity across the grid. A big thank you to our customer-partner Elia Group, and for all personnel involved in the planning and on the ground support. For those wanting to read more, here is the Elia press release from last years deployment: https://lnkd.in/epjYh6e3 #hvdc #autonomousinspection #tso #renewable #high_voltage #energy #electricity #transmission #interconnection #robot #inspection #automation #energytransition #digitisation #maintenance #robotics #gridtechnology #renewableenergy #renewables #predictivemaintenance