FMC Technology- Enabling the New Smart Electricity Grid

FMC-Tech, an Irish technology company founded in 2002, has developed a new, low cost, technically advanced and patented technology to monitor electricity distribution and transmission networks. The technology increases the capacity of transmission circuits and delivers the real-time information required to enable the ‘smart grid’ scheme, supporting the introduction of the new renewable electricity generation.

The Demand: The history of the Smart-Grid

In principle, the smart grid is a simple upgrade of 20th century power grids which generally "broadcast" power from a few central power generators to a large number of users, to instead be capable of routing power in more optimal ways to respond to a very wide range of conditions.

This new approach creates many problems for Electricity Suppliers as the network is no longer a simple ‘flow in one direction’ model. Instead generation now appears deep within the network and flows out, and users now also become suppliers. With the global strategy to increase generation from renewable sources, the management of the Network becomes more complex.

In this environment the simple electricity distribution model is obsolete. The new network has to become dynamic. Load flow must be managed, protection relays need supporting data from within the circuits they are protecting, and the networks must be able to deal with faults that occur by automatically re-routing power.

In order for Smart Grid to work, networks need to be monitored throughout for line current, load flow, conductor temperature and weather data. This data then delivers rapid fault location, dynamic rating of conductors, flexible feeding arrangements, optimum network efficiency, support for network protection and allows micro generation to deliver to the grid safely and securely.

Recognising these demands, FMC-Tech developed a new form of technology to deliver this information in a low cost and easily installed solution. The company’s newly developed data collection points or nodes use state of the art GPS timing and location, GRRS communications and low power radio. These are non-invasive and installed live line, ensuring that the network integrity is not compromised.

Simply put, the company’s technology provides a low cost platform for rapid fault location, alternative feeding schemes, distributed generation - and in conjunction with smart meters and relays, is effectively the nervous system for ‘smart grid’.

The Technology

FMC’s system consists of line mounted sensors which communicate by radio to a locally mounted controller. This controller forwards the information collected by the sensors into a web application or SCADA System. The sensors are powered by the magnetic field of the line, and the local controller is solar powered. The system delivers the following time synchronised data:

• Line Current
• Line Temperature
• Weather data, via an installed weather station (Air temp, solar gain, humidity, precipitation, wind speed/direction)

The information coming back from the deployed nodes is then presented for processing by various applications. These applications can receive data at user configurable intervals, can poll for data, or will receive data automatically when events occur.

The Development Process and Funding

The company has received over €1M of funding support from a number of European Utilities during the development process . In addition to the Utility funding, the Company has procured investment to date of €4M.

The initial product development took place under a Technology Agreement with Vattenfall, the Swedish electrical utility, and involved extensive co-operation with Ireland’s Electricity Supply Board (ESB).

FMC Tech has also received support from the Energy Innovation Centre. The Centre was instrumental in securing £300,000 of funding from Investment Partners via the Innovation Funding Incentive (IFI), and has also provided business support and direct links to the Distribution Network Operators.

Overall FMC Tech’s technology took four years to develop and has required eight patents. All of the intellectual property resulting from the product development over the past seven years belongs exclusively to FMC tech.

The Commercial Early-Adopters

The Company has successfully piloted its technology with 6 major European Utilities and it has already been piloted both in the UK and internationally by companies including ESB Ireland, Scottish Power, Northern Ireland Electricity, and Polish energy firm RZE.

The Impact

In principal the technology, through the use of line mounted sensors and associated software, makes the electricity power distribution networks more intelligent and rapidly locates faults. It also increases circuit capacity, improves efficiency and reduces carbon levels. It is estimated that this technology has the capacity to reduce outage duration by more than 35%.

The features of the system make it a fundamental component of the smart grid due to be implemented throughout Europe and the United States. Based on the known requirements of its present customers, and the fact that there is over 20 million km of electricity distribution networks around the World, the Company estimates a global market potential in excess of €8bn.

What's Next?

FMC Tech has now successfully piloted its system and is preparing the technology for larger deployments. In particular the company is currently working on reducing the cost and size of the system in order to commercialise the product across the UK and global energy market. It plans to raise €3M through industry investment in 2010.