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NETWORK / 33 / SEPTEMBER 2017 SSEN CASE STUDY S cottish and Southern Electricity Networks has exclusively revealed to Network that it is investing more than £250,000 in a new hand-held technology to help its engineers locate the source of underground cable faults much more quickly, helping to minimise the length of power cuts – and in some cases stop power cuts happening altogether. The network's (SSEN) new technology – thermal imaging of underground cable networks, dubbed TOUCAN – uses heat- sensitive thermal imagery to 'see' through tarmac and concrete to pick out where parts of the cable network have been damaged, developing a fault and causing a power cut – or identifying cables that look like they need repair before the power goes o‡ . Trials of the TOUCAN system show early signs of signiˆ cant beneˆ ts for the SSEN network, allowing operatives to quickly and precisely locate and identify faults, eliminat- ing any ambiguities when it comes to their location. Night time benefi ts Before the trials started, SSEN ran a simu- lation exercise, completing more than 900 scans in four days in an open environment to ensure the system was tested in vary- ing weather conditions, the company says. Interestingly, operatives discovered fault- ˆ nding success to be much greater during the night – a time when traditional, invasive methods of fault-ˆ nding are generally una- vailable due to disruption. This ˆ nding was subsequently borne out by the actual trials of TOUCAN. Faults were found within min- utes of arriving on the scene using the new equipment, says SSEN. Evidence from the project identiˆ es 'time to site' as a key factor in successfully pin- pointing faults. The optimum 90-minute window for fault identiˆ cation means SSEN's rapid response operatives are best- placed to use the handheld TOUCAN tech- nology, prioritising speed of detection and subsequent repair. The use of thermal imag- ing cameras complements existing tools used by SSEN's teams but acts as a ˆ rst step in pinpointing the source of faults with increased accuracy – meaning less excava- tion of roads is required, limiting disruption to the public. Tony Rhodes, team manager at SSEN's west London depot, has been using TOU- CAN since the end of June. He says the sys- tem has had a positive impact on the way he and his colleagues work. "The new cam- eras are really light, portable and simple to use. Over the last couple of months, they've made my job a lot easier. "When I get called out to a cable fault, the thermal camera accurately highlights the location and takes me straight to it, which means less digging – and lets us get the power back on for customers a lot more quickly, which is really satisfying." Rolling out system to Scotland SSEN has now completed the roll-out of the new cameras across its central south- ern England distribution area. The technology is now part of business as usual equipment there, the com- pany claims. SSEN is continuing to roll out the kit across its region in the north of Scotland, with the intention of it becoming standard practice to use it north of the bor- der from October. Kevin Dennis, SSEN project manager for TOUCAN, says the company has been able to resolve more than 20 cable faults more quickly and e‡ ectively than possible using traditional methods. He says: "TOUCAN is really help- ing us. Since we began introducing these new devices across our depots this summer, feedback from sta‡ been very positive." Stewart Reid, SSEN head of innovation, says: "We want to deliver the best possible customer service. First and foremost that means keeping the lights on and prevent- ing power cuts. In addition, we believe cus- tomer expectations will only increase as electric vehicles become the norm, so we are relentlessly looking for ways to speed up restoration and avoid power interruptions." Reid adds: "With this new technology our engineers can go straight to the source of a fault or potential fault, with- out having to carry out as much exca- vation work, which means we can reduce power cuts and disruption." The TOUCAN pro- ject has been short- listed for three UK Energy Innovation Cen- tre awards. EXCLUSIVE: Locating underground cable faults / SEPTEMBER 2017 quickly, which is really satisfying." Rolling out system to Scotland SSEN has now completed the roll-out of the new cameras across its central south- ern England distribution area. The technology is now part of business as usual equipment there, the com- pany claims. SSEN is continuing to roll out the kit across its region in the north of Scotland, with the intention of it becoming standard practice to use it north of the bor- Kevin Dennis, SSEN project manager for TOUCAN, says the company has been able to resolve are relentlessly looking for ways to speed up restoration and avoid power interruptions." Reid adds: "With this new technology our engineers can go straight to the source of a fault or potential fault, with- out having to carry out as much exca- vation work, which means we can reduce power cuts and disruption." The TOUCAN pro- ject has been short- listed for three UK Energy Innovation Cen- tre awards.