CSG Gears up to Ensure Grid Security Through BDS Improvement

China Southern Power Grid (CSG) in South China's Guangdong province has been in full swing in building ground-based augmentation stations of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, intending to improve its location precision and to give it a role in power grid operation and maintenance, smart safety supervision and disaster monitoring.

The company started research on application of the BeiDou system to the power grid in 2017. So far, it has built 15 augmentation stations, three high-precision positioning terminals and one BeiDou-based positioning service platform in Guangdong's Shaoguan.

In September 2019, CSG initiated a deep integration model of BeiDou plus power industry and aimed to complete 120 BeiDou ground-based augmentation stations by the end of 2020, realizing full BeiDou coverage in the company's supply districts.

BeiDou helps protect power grid workers

A special hard hat with a positioning system built into it is worn by workers at the Furong 220kV transformer substation in Shaoguan during power grid and facility maintenance.

With an antenna on the right and a camera in front, the hard hat has such functions as positioning, communication and filming. It is connected to the BeiDou ground-based augmentation stations and the BeiDou high precision positioning system, helping workers carry out remote supervision and maintenance missions and lowering security risks.

Along with the positioning system, the hard hat is also linked with the company's security supervision system. Locations and movements of the operators can be seen on the BeiDou-based positioning service platform and the system provides real-time warnings of electric shock risk.

Meanwhile, if an operator has not received the risk warning and enters the dangerous zone, staff members in charge of security supervision at the central control room can make a video call to the operator.

As the mass power and high voltage facilities might impact signal reception, advanced multi-core and multi-frequency helical antennas are used on the hard hat to resist interference.

Two operators, wearing the special hard hats with a BeiDou positioning function, inspect the Furong 220kV transformer substation in Shaoguan. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

BeiDou system contributes to battening down the hatch

Disastrous weather can sabotage towers and pillars that support the power transmission lines. Hidden danger and accurate supervision of the towers and pillars is crucial to guaranteeing power supply and security.

Here comes the BeiDou high precision positioning system which is a strong player in preventing and controlling geological hazards in power grid fields.

The company developed a foundation settlement monitoring device based on the system and a reversed engineering method. Workers can learn the settlement and instability of the support immediately through the backward-looking system. Even a millimeter offset would not be missed by the device.

The foundation settlement monitoring device is the beginning of BeiDou's involvement in smart disaster prevention. It was installed in the Furong transformer substation and started trial operations on June 8.

It will be widely promoted as an improvement to transmission lines' resistance of natural disasters.

The company's ultimate goal is to build a space-ground integrated geological disaster supervision, assessment and warning system for the power grid industry.

So far, the company has surveyed hidden electric dangers in Guangdong through the Gaofen satellites. It will now install the BeiDou-based foundation settlement monitoring device to ensure safe power grid operation.

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)