Equipment health monitoring for the modern utility.
Ramesh (“Rudy”) Shankar, Professor at UNC Charlotte Energy Production Infrastructure Center, initiated the first wireless sensor technology application at an operating utility and developed guidance for implementation. He served previously as chief technology advisor and vice president of technology innovation for the Tennessee Valley Authority. The author wishes to thank the Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, Calif., Clinton Carter, Luminant Corp., Bernie Cook, Duke Energy and Azima Corp. under the leadership of Jamey Rosenfield for their support.
Wireless technology marks a big part of our life today. We use it when we scour our phones for voice, text, or interesting video tid-bits, and as we log on for important messages from home or office.
Yet many other functions that we take for granted now have proliferated. That garage-door opener, that TV remote control, that Internet of Everything - all are enabled by wireless sensors that are getting smaller, smarter, cheaper, and more nimble. The utility industry also has benefitted, but in a more surreptitious manner: the technology has enabled very accurate equipment health monitoring in ways that were not done before nor contemplated.