SEL develops new wildfire mitigation solution that will cut power to broken electrical lines before they hit the ground

24 March 2023

Published by: https://www.bigcountrynewsconnection.com

USA – PULLMAN, WA – Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) has developed a new solution that will help decrease wildfire risks and improve public safety. The new falling conductor protection solution, which has been successfully field tested by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) on ten circuits, cuts the power to a broken electrical line before it hits the ground.

According to a press release from SEL, patented algorithms in the SEL Real-Time Automation Controller (RTAC) continuously analyze the synchrophasor data for voltage abnormalities. When a broken power conductor is detected, the RTAC sends a trip command to the devices nearest the break to isolate and de-energize that section of the circuit, all of which happens within a few hundred milliseconds while the falling conductor is still midair.

“With this new technology, electric utilities will be able to mitigate wildfire risk better than ever before,” said SEL CEO Dave Whitehead. “We’re thankful to SDG&E for their partnership and are excited to see how this innovation will enhance public and environmental safety.”

SDG&E has conducted successful field testing on ten circuits and plans to implement this protection within its high-fire-threat district by 2026.

“All of the field testing has been very successful for each circuit, and we look forward to the anticipated successes from real-world implementation,” said Chris Bolton, the manager of System Protection Automation and Control Engineering at SDG&E. “This advanced technology will help SDG&E reduce the chances of a utility-related wildfire in the areas at higher risk.”