A fibre-optic system can track and detect unwanted electrical currents in high-voltage power grids in real time, according to a study.
Developed by a research team at the Graz University of Technology in Austria, the system is a simple and instantaneous solution for calculating exact current levels in power grids, including normal alternating currents (AC) and problematic direct-current (DC) interference.
Today’s AC power grids are increasingly under strain. While renewables feed energy into the network, the proliferation of electric vehicle chargers requires increasingly powerful inverters and rectifiers to convert power back and forth. This conversion process inadvertently leaks DC into the grid.
Natural phenomena, including solar or geomagnetic storms, can also cause this DC to find its way into power lines.
These fault currents significantly reduce the service life of transformers in grid substations by causing them to saturate and overheat. Eventually they could fail, leading to severe...