This paper presents a summary of the main results of the activities carried out in the Annual Implementation Plan (PAR) 2017 of the “Management, Monitoring and Control of the Transmission Grid” project. The overall objective of the project is to study and evaluate the operational status of transmission and distribution grid components through the use of monitoring, diagnostic and communication systems, in order to improve the reliability and availability of the network, also in relation to environmental conditions and their significant influence on it. The paper consists of an introductory chapter describing the main national and international research programs and the main objectives of the three-year project, followed by a description of the research carried out under the project. The main results, objectives and motivations of the research are given, as well as the stages of its development, all preceded by a brief summary of the activities carried out in the previous PAR. This is followed by a brief description of the activities of research and standardization working groups at national and international level.

The summary of the activities carried out in the PAR 2017 covers the following topics:

Monitoring on the territory

• LANPRIS Experimentation and Aging Insulator Station: the phase of monitoring the behavior of polymeric insulators or in the presence of coatings of different types has been launched; the tests are carried out on 4 types of insulator with 3 different leakage lines, reduced from the normal sizing to accelerate the aging phenomena.

• AMICO DC device: pollutant level monitoring and remote tuning of the system. Also, comparison with AC measurements from the AMICO II system and data from isolators installed in the LANPRIS station. The implementation and laboratory testing of the prototype of the new McMel compact conductance meter (low voltage) for monitoring the level of contamination of overhead insulators. 

• Mapping the contamination level of overhead insulators on the national territory: the activities to measure ESDD and NSDD contaminants in samples from more than 200 sites on the Italian territory continued. The first analyses of the data obtained from the measurement campaigns and the first fine-tuning of the modelling systems used to carry out the initial mapping. An initial consolidation of the contamination prediction system for assessing the deposition of soluble and insoluble air pollutants on the insulators. 

• Monitoring and laboratory verifications of the level of contamination and degradation of line and station insulators: the analysis of data from surface current monitoring systems (ILCMS) installed in high-voltage stations and lines and laboratory tests on composite insulators taken out of service continued. The activities aim to compare the degradation over time due to the aggressiveness of the environment and the action of solar radiation, and the mitigation solutions adopted.

Grid component diagnostics<. 

• Pre-engineered optical system for electric field measurement on live components (with Lithium Niobate sensor): the characterization of the optical system for electric field measurement, also in DC.

• Accelerated aging tests on samples reproducing the paper-oil insulation system of a transformer: validation of non-traditional and off-line diagnostic methodologies for checking accelerated aging parameters of transformers through constant comparison with the results of oil sampling analysis performed by TERNA. 

• Development of optical sensors for in-line monitoring of grid components: validation of innovative optical methodologies developed for the detection of furans and corrosive sulfur through comparison with traditional and established techniques. 

• Corona discharge simulation code development: code validation in AC cases and development of thermally stable chemical databases (temperature does not drift during simulation, as in the case of unstable databases). 

• Partial discharge simulation code development: improvement of the algorithm to simulate the movement of surface charges (so as to allow the treatment of cases with very high surface conductivity). 

• Design and implementation of the electro-optical field sensor: validation tests and complete characterization of the system.  Development of transparent and conductive visor masks for live protective devices: work was carried out on increasing the electrical conductivity of visors and their characterization in the laboratory. 

• Chemical modeling of polyethylene aging: kinetic modeling of low-energy aging and quantum-mechanical characterization of the crystal structure for estimating the electronic extraction work, supported by laboratory tests.

Component and asset management 

• Eye safe system for measuring the ground clearance of overhead line conductors: field installation of the device for surveying the deflection under conditions associated with ice sleeve formation. 

• Prototype system for continuous transmission tower monitoring of overhead line ground clearance: testing of the main components of a demonstration prototype with modular structure and development of hardware and software for system management, image acquisition and subsequent analysis. 

• Guidelines for LCA analysis of power grid components in the Italian context: application of the guidelines to a case study: LCI of the innovative conductor (HTLS) and future Italian electrical mixes; LCA of electricity transmission along a HV line with innovative conductor. 

• Modeling and metrological characterization of inductive voltage transformers against harmonics: identification and validation of inductive measurement transformer models. Methodologies and tools for calibration verification or field and High Voltage calibration of energy measurement chains: verification of medium-term stability of LiOnHV equipment for field verification of accuracy of voltmeter transformers for energy measurements. 

• Development of a prototype Stand-Alone Merging Unit (SAMU): development of a first laboratory prototype SAMU with advanced functionality (Smart – SAMU) and its metrological characterization in collaboration with the National Institute of Metrological Research (I.N.Ri.M.).