City of New Orleans Deploys Power Intelligence Analytics for Critical Power Reliability

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HAMPSTEAD, NORTH CAROLINA

This month, the City of New Orleans deployed leading-edge thermal analytics from Power Intelligence at the downtown New Orleans substations powering critical levee pumping stations: stations that must run 24/7 to keep the most at-risk parishes, quite literally, above water.

Originally deployed as part of a proof of concept working with Mitsubishi Electric, the system deploys 30 infrared imaging cameras to continuously monitor the condition of every bolted connection and electrical device at Entergy’s Joliet substation in downtown New Orleans.

“This technology is a game-changer” said Joe Barron of Mitsubishi Electric.

Instead of relying on periodic manual measurement and subjective methods of interpretation, this system takes all of the guess-work out of the condition-based maintenance process. Minute-by-minute, the system analyzes hundreds of measurement points on disconnects, switches, circuit breakers, transformer bushings and load-tap changers in this most critical of the city’s substations. What’s really remarkable about this technology is the ability to automatically compensate for all of the various dynamic environmental elements like electrical load, ambient temperature, wind speed/direction and the effects of solar exposure on the indicated readings taken by thermal imaging devices.

According to one Entergy engineer the system is very robust, surviving two hurricanes, providing early detection of degrading conditions and allowing for rapid remediation with minimal disruption to power delivery.

“The Power Intelligence system alerted us to anomalies at the service disconnects and we validated these findings with manual hand-held measurements well in advance of the situation reaching the point where an unplanned outage would have occurred.” 

For more information, or to download a case study of the Joliet Substation deployment, contact Richard Wexler, Global Marketing Director for Power Intelligence LLC.