MAIGE


  • Relationship among tasks of the MAIGE Project

MAIGE project, with project number RTC-2016-5006-3, has been cofunded by the Spanish Ministery of Economy and Competitivity and the FEDER fund in the RETOS call 2016.


Start Date: 
Saturday, 1 October 2016 to Sunday, 30 September 2018
Stage: 
Closed
Advanced Monitoring System for Distribution Facilities of Gas and Electricity

MAIGE project focuses on the concept of Asset Management, with a direct impact on the level of inspection and maintenance of installations of gas and electricity distribution. This is intended to increase the assets of intelligent management, enabling brigades to perform remotely.

MAIGE project aims to meet the following requirements:

  1. Development of a set of robust and low-cost sensors to be installed in the transformation centers (TCs) that enable a regulatory verification and the status of the different components of the installation remotely, avoiding having to go to field do it manually.
    It will include the addition of visual systems to the transformation centers, with an expert interpretation system, identify significant changes in the transformation center (presence of people and odd objects, controls position, etc.). Through this solution it will be possible to optimize preventive maintenance visits by staff and anticipate possible failures.
  2. Development of a team that incorporates robust, reliable, low-cost and low-consumption sensors, solar powered, which can be installed on the pylons, and other facilities, etc. and verify continuity and resistance of grounding. Additionally such equipment may integrate (depending on cost-benefit analysis) other sensors like temperature, humidity, lightning detection, wind, presence sensor, etc.
  3. Development of monitoring systems (sensors) for detection and location of faults and phase and loads unbalance on medium voltage networks.
  4. Definition and, where appropriate development of a communications system to cover these sensors in all geographic areas where electrical and gas facilities are. Communication needs are small data volume and high dispersion (low density) of the points of communication.

In the scenario of asset management it is essential to consider innovation projects with a significant presence of pilots and demonstration of technologies operating in a real environment, to be able to implement the solutions as soon as possible in distribution networks.

MAIGE project is clearly aligned with this premise, since it conducts several pilots to test the developments that respond to the 4 lines of research or needs raised previously.

Objectives

The main objective of MAIGE project is the development of innovative solutions and equipment to improve the management of the assets of the electricity distribution networks.

The specific objectives are:

Development of systems for monitoring parameters of electrical installations, currently supervised manually and locally, to increase efficiencies and improve the quality and safety of service.

Other objectives:

To achieve the main objectives previously mentioned it is necessary to complement them with others to ensure project success. The other objectives of the project are listed below:

  • Development of sensors measuring grounding resistance applicable to transformation centers and high-voltage towers.
  • Incorporation of new communication technologies to provide low-cost connectivity to the deployed sensors.
  • Incorporating video systems in assets distribution of gas and electricity to improve their monitoring and improving preventive maintenance.
  • Development of detection system of phase and loads unbalance in medium voltage network (overhead and underground lines).
  • Development of device detection and location of faults in distribution lines of medium voltage.
  • Integral demonstration in a electricity distribution real environment of the developments undertaken by the project, which will allow its validation and go to the market, since MAIGE project was born with an industry perspective and innovation to the market.

Strategic Objectives:

  • Acquire the necessary knowledge to develop new control equipment as well as its benefits and manage the network with an active role in network management.
  • Modernize the existing network into an intelligent network in the levels of medium and low voltage through increased automation.

Innovative elements of the project

MAIGE project is innovative since it seeks to answer the questions that arise as a result of innovation projects and the deployment of smart grids, which sheds light on the new needs and challenges facing the electricity sector.

Specifically, the innovative elements on each of the 4 parts that MAIGE addresses are discussed:

  • New optical sensors for automatic visual inspection.
  • Grounding sensor.
  • New algorithm for the detection and location of faults in medium voltage networks.
  • Using LP-WAN technologies in real environments in the field of energy distribution.
  • New concept of SCADA.
  • Interface and information systems.

For more information please go to the official project web page: http://proyectomaige.gnfdigital.com/

Energy Efficiency - Internet of things