Delivering the Tools for Creating the Next-Generation Electrical SmartGrid

PowerSense delivers cutting-edge monitoring and control equipment together with integrated supervision to enable the modern electrical utility to prepare its existing power infrastructure for tomorrow’s SmartGrid.

PowerSense uses world-leading technology to merge existing and new power infrastructures into the existing SCADA and IT systems of the electrical utilities. This integration of the upgraded power infrastructure and existing IT systems instantly optimizes outage and fault management, thereby decreasing customer minutes lost (the System Average Interruption duration Index, or SAIDI).

At the same time, this integration helps the electrical utility further improve asset management (resulting in major cost savings) and power management (resulting in high-performance outage management and a high power efficiency). The PowerSense product line is called DISCOS® (for distribution networks, Integrated Supervision and Control System).

Discos®

The following outlines the business and system values offered by the DISCOS® product line.

Business Values

  • Cutting-edge optical technology (the sensor)
  • Easily and safely retrofitted (sensors can be fitted into all transformer types)
  • End-to-end solutions (from sensors to laptop)
  • Installation in steps (implementation based on cost-benefit analysis) system Values
  • Current (for each phase)
  • Voltage (for each phase)
  • Frequency
  • Power active, reactive and direction
  • Distance-to-fault measurement
  • Control of breakers and service relays
  • Analog inputs
  • Measurement of harmonic content for I and V
  • Measurement of earth fault

These parameters are available for both medium- and low-voltage power lines.

OPTICAL SENSOR TECHNOLOGY

With its stability and linearity, PowerSense’s cutting-edge sensor technology is setting new standards for current measurements in general. For PowerSense’s primary business area of MV grid monitoring in particular, it is creating a completely new set of standards for how to monitor the MV power grid.

The DISCOS® Current Sensor is part of the DISCOS® Opti module. The DISCOS® Sensor monitors the current size and angle on both the LV and MV side of the transformer.

BASED ON THE FARADAY EFFECT

Today, only a few applications in measuring instruments are based on the Faraday rotation principle. For instance, the Faraday effect has been used for measuring optical rotary power, for amplitude modulation of light and for remote sensing of magnetic fields.

now, due to advanced computing techniques, PowerSense is able to offer a low-priced optical sensor based on the Faraday effect.

THE COMPANY

PowerSense A/S was established on September 1, 2006, by DONG Energy A/S (formerly Nesa A/S) as a spin-off of the DISCOS® product line business. The purpose of the spin-off was to ensure the best future business conditions for the DISCOS® product line.

After the spin-off, BankInvest A/S, a Danish investment bank, holds 70 percent of the share capital. DONG Energy A/S continues to hold 30 percent of the share capital.