Bus Duct System Monitoring

Fiber Optic Sensing for Protection and Monitoring of Bus Duct Systems

Low Voltage Electrical System Monitoring

Continuous Bus Duct Temperature Monitoring

Minimize downtimes by effectively detecting and locating hotspots and other disruptive issues using continuous fiber optic monitoring

Fiber optic sensing technology allows for real-time temperature monitoring of bus ducts, addressing the limitations of traditional methods. This advanced monitoring system not only detects temperature fluctuations promptly, but also offers a proactive approach to identifying overheating and potential damage. Unlike other electrical systems that lack built-in monitoring capabilities, bus ducts equipped with fiber optic sensors eliminate the need for retrofitting discrete sensors or relying on frequent thermal imaging services, which can be expensive and time consuming. Moreover, the technology provides a comprehensive and continuous monitoring solution, ensuring that even inaccessible or hidden areas within assets are effectively observed, minimizing the challenges associated with traditional monitoring systems.

AP Sensing’s Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) technology offers a comprehensive, cutting-edge solution to address additional monitoring needs for electrical systems such as:

Continuous BusBar Temperature Monitoring (CBTM) for bus ways, bus ducts and bus bars provides 24/7 measurement, alarming, reporting, and recording of the bus bar temperature.
Continuous Switchgear Temperature Monitoring (CSTM) provides a simple, effective solution for monitoring all switchgear with a single DTS system, enabling automated, remote and 24/7 monitoring.
Continuous Generator and Transformer Monitoring (CGTM) allows safe operation at high loads and critical times, without risking asset failure which would result in severe damage to the transformer, generator or backup battery, unscheduled downtimes, high repair costs, and loss of revenue.
Continuous Rack Temperature Monitoring (CRTM) detects and locates hotspots and other disruptive conditions which could otherwise result in overheating, which significantly reduces or eliminates the need for manual testing and inspection.
HVAC assets, storage and drainage vessels benefit from 24/7 temperature monitoring, and sewage and drainage may also be continuously monitored for early leak detection in order to prevent outages, pinpoint hotspots, and ensure environmental compliance and operational efficiency.

DISTRIBUTED TEMPERATURE SENSING

Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) technology comprises a head-end unit and a long length of fiber optic sensor cable that can reach all points of interest (POI) within the asset. The sensor cable is an ordinary fiber optic cable, terminated on the DTS head end, and can be up to 10 kilometers in length per channel. It is important to note that this sensor cable is dielectric and passive and can therefore be used in the vicinity of bare metal busbars.

DTS offers permanent consistent temperature measurements, with updates every minute. It precisely pinpoints the location of hot spots, identifying the exact POI, and seamlessly integrates with Building Management Systems (BMS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems by industry-standard communication protocols. Hotspot alarms are presented through BMS/SCADA interfaces or via standard IT techniques, ensuring that end-users are automatically informed of detected hotspots and their exact locations. With flexible alarm schemes, users can set static, gradient, and average alarm thresholds, ensuring early detection of issues. Typically, each DTS unit terminates at least four sensor channels.

For electrical applications, a passive, dielectric sensor cable is advantageous, as it is capable of handling temperature peaks of up to 150 degrees Celsius and only one sensor cable is required to reach all points of interest within the asset, up to 10 km in length. The sensor cable may be directly fitted onto bare metal bus bars or within high-power density systems; AP Sensing offers patented accessories for secure and reliable cable installation.

SMARTVISION

AP Sensing's SmartVision asset visualization software provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of your electrical assets, including easily accessible temperature profiles and alarms, recording of events for playback and in-depth analysis, aggregation of alarms and interfacing with BMS/SCADA systems via Modbus which facilitates quick responses to issues, support of multiple operator consoles, and upstream communication via SMS over SMMP for additional convenience.

At AP Sensing, we're committed to providing comprehensive and cutting-edge solutions for CBTM and other electrical monitoring applications; our technology ensures the reliability and safety of your electrical assets, preventing costly downtime and disruptions. We offer an integrated, end-to-end solution and our team works together with you to select the right combination of technologies to fit your requirements. We also provide onsite services, hotline support, maintenance, and product trainings. Contact us today to learn more about how our DTS technology and SmartVision software can benefit your data center, industrial site, commercial building, or other facility.

APPLICATION FIELDS

Our solutions offer robust and reliable asset protection for various application areas, including:

Continuous BusBar Temperature Monitoring
Continuous Switchgear Temperature Monitoring
Continuous Rack Temperature Monitoring
HVAC assets, storage and drainage vessels

DOCUMENTATION

BUS DUCT SYSTEM MONITORING DOCUMENTATION

Download further information here:

Flyer - Continuous Bus Duct Temperature Monitoring - EN

Flyer - Switchgear and Busbar Temperature Monitoring - EN

AP SENSING SUCCESS STORIES

We have hundreds of satisfied customers worldwide!

Bus Duct Monitoring in a Colocation Facility

The data center facility in this case study has evolved and is currently designed and built to operate as a modern colocation data center. The operator pursued a retrofit bus duct temperature monitoring solution, which would increase operational efficiency and provide a continuous monitoring solution for the entire length of all bus duct sections in the data halls.

Bus Duct Data Center Monitoring

Recently, a major cloud computing provider was looking for a busway temperature monitoring solution for their European hub. They were looking for a continuous monitoring solution for the busway runs between switchrooms and the data hall and implemented one AP Sensing DTS device plus specialty sensor cable for 24/7 monitoring of hotspots and localization of hotspots within 1 m. Our solution enables preventative maintenance and a quick emergency response.

Fiber-based Current Monitoring

Comprehensive power cable monitoring is becoming increasingly important - computing cable ratings based on thermal profiling (RTTR), detecting and locating hotspots, cable faults and TPI events, and permanent cable condition monitoring of cable accessories and terminations for early detection of issues within the entire cable system. Read more about our sheath current monitoring study conducted with Brugg Cables.

Urban Power Cable Monitoring using DAS & AI

Underground HVAC power cables are often buried within urban areas, under streets, bridges and near construction sites. TSOs are in need of a suitable and feasible solution for accurate detection and classification of Third Party Interference (TPI) events close to power cables. AP Sensing, together with our partner Crony, recently completed a project that used a combination our our DAS technology with Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically Deep Neural Networks (DNN), for signal analysis and classification.

Innovative DoBS method for offshore power cable monitoring

With the actual accelerated transition towards more sustainable energies, the deployment of wind farms and submarine power cables has significantly increased in the last few years and will expand significantly in the near future. Therefore, monitoring the growing number of offshore power cables has become very important to identify possible damage risks and avoid long power outages at an early stage.

400kV Power Cable Circuit Monitoring in Bahrain

AP Sensing was recently selected to monitor a 400 kV power cable loop for Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) in the Kingdom of Bahrain. As part of EWA’s strategic 400 kV Transmission Development program, this project adds a crucial link to the infrastructure of the Kingdom of Bahrain and is the first 400 kV XLPE submarine cable to be installed in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

500kV HVDC Monitoring KEPCO

The Buk-Dangjin to Godeok underground power cable link supplies electricity in South Korea from the Dangjin power plant to Godeok, Pyeongtaek city and throughout the Seoul Metropolitan area. AP Sensing's Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology was recently deployed by Korean Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to monitor the power cable link.

TPI & Power Cable monitoring for RTE, France

AP Sensing is monitoring a 39 km underground power cable link for Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE), the French electricity transmission system operator. Both Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technologies are in use to monitoring Third Party Intrusion (TPI), cable faults, and hotspots, as well as AP Sensing’s SmartVision software with a MapView module.

Power Cable Fault Detection & Location Analysis

For large power cable assets such as subsea cables, windfarm export cables or HV onshore transmission cables, finding cable faults rapidly is crucial to minimizing downtimes caused by these faults. Fiber optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is a key enabler for this task. In this compilation of four different projects, AP Sensing summarizes different situations and how our DAS system provided fault-finding services both offline and online.

Underground Power Cable (DAS), Germany

An AP Sensing Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) system is monitoring a 6 km high-voltage power cable in Germany. A key feature of DAS is the ability to immediately detect and locate cable faults. This helps optimize transmission and distribution networks, and reduces costly and unnecessary operational costs and asset downtime.

380 KV Underground Power Cable Monitoring in Brugg

Brugg Kabel & Swissgrid selected AP Sensing to monitor a new project in Switzerland where a route of overhead lines will be replaced by underground power lines. The power cable monitoring system provides accurate temperature profiling for all power cable phases, plus indicates maximum temperatures and where these are located.

115kV Underground Power Cable Saudi Arabia June 2020

Khudriyah-2 BSP is a new grid station situated on the outskirts of Dammam city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) system was deployed to monitor the temperatures of two 115 kV underground circuits, providing thermal profiling and insights into the the actual conductor temperature and transient statuses with Real Time Thermal Rating (RTTR).

Underground Transmission Cable Monitoring Pakistan May 2020

AP Sensing is monitoring a 132 kV underground transmission cable for Karachi Electric. This cable experiences greater loads than nominal lines, as it feeds energy to a steel mill with high energy throughputs and frequent consumption cycles. Our solution provides end-to-end temperature monitoring to reduce thermal overload and cable faults. Additionally, RTTR and our asset viewer software enhance operational insight.

Underground Power Cable Utilizing DAS March 2020

Kriegers Flak Offshore Wind November 2019

Denmark's largest offshore wind farm required a reliable, high-performance solution for protecting and monitoring cable loads and immediately detecting faults. 6 DTS units and 9 DAS units are in use for monitoring 300 km of this asset; AP Sensing's SmartVision visualization software is utilized for a real-time graphic overview of all temperature and acoustic data.

Underground Power Monitoring Skanste Riga Aug 2018

An AP Sensing fiber-optic DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution was selected to monitor power cables on two underground circuits in Latvia. This successful installation involved one DTS N4425A device with six channels, as well as SmartVision and RTTR (real time thermal rating).

Offshore Windpark DTS and DAS Monitoring SEPT 2017

The operators of an offshore wind farm located off the west coast of Denmark wanted a monitoring solution to locate cable faults immediately after they occur. They chose AP Sensing for our unique combination of DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) and DAS (Distributed Acoustic Sensing) capabilities.

Subsea Power Cable Monitoring with SmartVision and RTTR FEB 2017

The oil platform operator Engie needed a monitoring solution for their medium voltage (35kV) subsea power cable, which provides the power for the platform operations. AP Sensing was selected not only because of our ruggedness, reliability and superior support services, but also for our SmartVision™ and RTTR capabilities.

Subsea Power Transmission Link Sicily Calabria July 2016

The extra high voltage power links run between power stations in Sicily and Calabria, crossing the Messina straits. To monitor and protect the overland sections of this important link, AP Sensing’s fiber-optic based DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution was selected.

Olympic Park Brazil Updated Case

The Olympic Park is the main center of competition for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Covering over 1 million square meters and including 9 different sports facilities, a new power substation was constructed to handle the enormous power demand in the park. AP Sensing’s fiber-optic based DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution was selected to monitor this valuable infrastructure.

Wind Park Subsea Power Cable Monitoring Shanghai Oct 2010

The Donghai Bridge Wind Farm in Shanghai is the second largest bridge in the world. The wind farm is the first commercial offshore wind park, and was completed prior to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. AP Sensing was selected to monitor the subsea power cable with an approximate length of 15km.

Transmission and Distribution Network Updated Case

A leading Australian network operator wanted to gain monitoring insight into his distribution network: to monitor the medium-voltage power cable’s condition, identify hotspots and bottlenecks, and to minimize risks and costs for maintenance and in emergency situations. The operator can now operate his network at the highest possible safe ampacity level.

Taiwan Mass Rapid Transit Updated Case

AP Sensing was selected to monitor the power cable in a new metro tunnel. This is the first power cable temperature monitoring system to be used in the Taipei MRT. The Linear Power Series solution continually monitors the temperature of high-voltage power cables. The DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution ensures a stable, safe and efficient power transmission and distribution.

Sweden to Lithuania Subsea Cable Updated Case

Learn why AP Sensing was selected to monitor and protect the world's longest XLPE subsea cable.

Power Cable Tunnel Monitoring Shanghai Mar 2010

The World Exposition 2010 Shanghai China (Shanghai Expo) was held at the waterfront area on both sides of Huangpu River in Shanghai from May to October, 2010. AP Sensing provided its leading Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) system, the “Linear Power Series”, to monitor and secure the first 500kV power cables in Shanghai installed in a power cable tunnel over a distance of 20km.

Power Circuit Monitoring Czech Republic Jan 2010

In 2009 Brugg Cables installed a new 110 KV power circuit within the city limits of Prague. To protect valuable assets with Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) technology the end customer chose to equip the new circuit with a fiber optical sensor cable and permanently monitor the temperature profile with an AP Sensing Linear Heat Series instrument.

Network Operator Austria July 2013

In 2012, when it was time to upgrade and expand their network, Energie Steiermark selected AP Sensing as their DTS solution provider. Two of AP Sensing’s Linear Power Series DTS devices were installed, equipped with Multi Sensor Boards.

High Power Underground Cable Monitoring March 2010

Underground utilities are “the power” beneath large cities. They feed the cities with electric power, gas and water. Failures in this sensitive infrastructure are costly and therefore USI Power selected AP Sensing’s outdoor DTS instrument to permanently monitor the temperature along a 220kV power circuit connecting Manhattan and Queens.

380 KV Power Circuit Monitoring March 2011

In 2010 a new 380KV power circuit was put into operation as part of a nationwide power grid improvement. Near Florence the high voltage circuit has buried sections in close proximity to a very populated valley and a historic church. The primary route was completed in trenches filled with thermal sand. The project also included challenging road crossings that used horizontal drilling to complete the construction.

220 KV Power Circuit with Temperature Map Updated Case

A new 220KV underground power circuit traverses many different types of soil conditions along its 25 km length. AP Sensing’s fiber optic based DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) solution was selected by the network operator RTE (Réseaux de transport d'éléctricité), based on its reliability and ruggedness, as well as the innovative asset visualization capabilities.

Press Release Fiber Optic Sensing Association NOV 2017

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA) today released details on more than 1,300 installations of distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) around the world, the largest representative sample ever published. AP Sensing is proud of our global contributions for pipeline leak detection, high voltage power cable monitoring and fire detection.

Digitization is the driver for quality, capacity and efficient railway operation for DB Netz AG. Fiber Optic Sensing is an outstanding technology that enables the improval of infrastructure capabilities at lightspeed compared to other solutions using existing cable infrastructure. AP Sensing is taking FOS-based railway monitoring to the next level with their true phase-based system and the extensive use of AI. We’re happy to work in collaboration with AP Sensing’s responsive and innovative team, helping us to get projects moving and getting FOS integrated in the daily railway operation.

Max Schubert

DB Netz AG

AP Sensing's support team has been a fantastic resource for us over the years. They have helped us with system development and implementation planning, and they are always quick to respond to our technical queries with competent advice and helpful tips.

Geoff Harris

Ausgrid

When I think of AP Sensing the first thing I think of is reliability. We completely trust and rely on their performance specifications and I know that their technical support team is dedicated and passionate about solving any problems that might come up.

Paul Sanders

Petrospec Engineering

Knowing the technology and market, it is evident to me that AP Sensing is the forerunner in distributed optical sensing. Their solutions reflect a combination of experience and creativity. Experience comes from their HP/Agilent heritage, the leader in test and measurement equipment, with decades of experience in developing and manufacturing extremely reliable and high quality products. The creativity comes from their passion and commitment to solving real customer problems.

David Orr

Protex Systems

When you do business with AP Sensing you get the feeling that you are working together as partners, because they listen to you and understand the challenges of your day-to-day operations. Communication with AP Sensing is always professional and it's obvious that they have the experience and the technical know-how to answer our queries.

Marcin Cichy

Honeywell

AP Sensing's DTS is simply the best fit. We apply it together with ConveySafe in our coal power plants to protect our conveyors. The systems are rugged and completely reliable, need very little power, and can be seamlessly integrated into customer SCADA environments. Best of all, you don't just buy a box from them and that's it -- their post-sales support is outstanding.

Harald Grzybeck

STEAG

The SIL-2 (Safety Integrity Level) rating that AP Sensing has achieved on its DTS gives us the confidence that their solution is going to work as planned, day in and day out, in high-risk environments. Our LNG terminal operators sleep better at night knowing that our assets are protected and security standards are met.

Dr. Stephan Grosswig

GESO

My AP Sensing regional customer support is fantastic: competent, thorough and quick to get back to me. They have been a key player in our complex pipeline projects over the years, and they truly offer through-life product support, from installation and commissioning to training.

Dustin Bow

PENTAIR