The project links EPES and Energy Generation and Supply strategic priorities in the field of
remote sensors for power systems including high voltage electronics and electrical systems.
The proposed 12-month project will involve the development, testing and trialling of a BETA
prototype of a centralised, partial discharge (PD) condition monitoring system suitable for
insulation condition monitoring of complete offshore and onshore oil & gas high voltage
(HV) electricity networks.
The system will apply new, remote PD sensors and continuous, 24/7 condition monitoring
technology to provide an 'early warning' system against incipient insulation faults in the oil &
gas operators’ hv power networks. The particular focus of the system will be to monitor the
stator insulation condition of the HV motors located in 'Ex' (explosive environment) which
pump and process the oil & gas in the facilities. The technology developed will be suitable for
both offshore drilling platforms and onshore processing facilities, targeting an unmet sector
need for a 'Complete HV Network PD Condition Monitoring System'.
The potential market opportunity for the technology is significant, the North Sea oil and gas
fields alone represent a potential market of £30 Million of product sales with up to £3 Million
per year in service fees with the worldwide market conservatively estimated at 1 0x this
(£300M product sales, £30M service fees p.a).
The benefits of the proposed Central PD monitoring solution range from improved asset
availability, increased production, to the significant reduction of energy consumption. The
outcome of HV plant insulation failure can leads to serious consequences including cost,
safety and social-economic implications. The central monitoring solution will thus be used by
asset managers to improve the reliability and availability of their HV networks whilst
maximising the useful service life of the plant leading to considerable savings of life cycle
costs.