Innovative cable monitoring system HiMON^® significantly increases the availability of high voltage cables

The modular condition assessment system HiMON^® for HVAC and HVDC cable systems allows the immediate localization of cable breakdowns and continuous condition monitoring of cables and joints.HiMON® detects70 % of faults in cables and joints in advance, so they can be repaired during scheduled maintenance work. In addition, repair times after cable breakdowns can be reduced by 30 %. This increases the overall availability of the cable systems. It is easily possible to integrate HiMON^® in new and existing cable systems. 

The goal of permanently supplying consumers with energy from renewable or regenerative sources is ambitious, but at the same time it encourages a pioneering spirit and inventiveness. 
One challenge of the energy transition in the electricity sector is to ensure the security of energy supply at all times of the day and night, in summer and winter. 

To support this goal, HIGHVOLT has developed HiMON^® in cooperation with various universities. 

HiMON® is a modular measurement and condition assessment system for the fast localization of cable faults and the assessment of partial discharges. It supports utilities in locating faults in cables and joints and evaluating the condition of the cable as well as identifying trends. 
 
"The integration of HiMON^® increases the availability of HVAC and HVDC cable systems. This significantly reduces costs due to unplanned downtime," says Dan Keller, responsible for sales.

The measured data is evaluated in an expert system. The easy to understand results allow to spatially allocate and evaluate the faults. Innovative measurement and evaluation methods provide the operator with targeted recommendations for action. This minimizes downtimes and increases the availability of the cables, bringing them close to the level of overhead lines.

Christoph Steiner from the development team says: "Our expert system, in combination with the knowledge of our experienced employees, allows the continuous improvement of the applied stochastic algorithms and artificial intelligence methods".

A special advantage of the system is its easy integration into new and existing cable systems. "The specially developed and field-tested high-current transformers and event recorders can be installed at distances of 12 km on the cable system without affecting it. And still HiMON^® makes the localization of fault possible to meters," says Iaroslav Shevchenko from the development team.