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Tree Fall

The fallen tree can escalate the risk of wildfires and electrical faults.

Tree Fall

Introduction

In the northeastern United States, Early Fault Detection (EFD) identified a large tree that had fallen across a main three-phase distribution line in a heavily forested state park. The issue was detected remotely by the EFD system and enabled targeted maintenance to prevent a potential fault or service disruption.

Early detection allowed for quick response, avoiding electrical faults and ensuring continued service reliability.

Quick response to the fallen tree ensured uninterrupted service and avoided system failure.

Proactive maintenance allowed utility crews to address the issue promptly, optimizing time and effort.

Summary

The EFD system flagged a location in a remote area of a state park, very near to the substation. Upon investigation, a large tree had fallen across the main three-phase distribution line, which was still being supported by the insulated cables. The tree’s weight and position put significant strain on the lines, creating a risk of a pole or wire-down event. The heavily forested area further increased the potential for a wildfire if the tree were to cause an electrical fault.

By identifying this issue early, the EFD system enabled utility crews to respond quickly, preventing a significant fault or equipment damage. This proactive action helped ensure continued service reliability and reduced the risk of wildfires in the high-risk, vegetation-heavy area.

Testimonials

Eliminating customer outages, driving affordability because we can efficiently group our work instead of heading out to fix things whenever they fail, and dearest to my heart, risk management – not just put in better protection to respond to faults and limit consequences, but actually manage the risk of faults happening – all I can say is this tech is magic.

Jeff Hackman
Senior Director, Ameren (USA)

The results have been very promising, and it’s worked the way it’s designed to. We’ll let the trial play out and then we’ll look at the deployment across our network.

Steve Neaves
General Manager, Powercor (Australia)

IND T.’s innovative EFD technology enables utilities to monitor “the heartbeat of the grid” in near real-time. With this technology, utilities can implement prescriptive maintenance and detect incipient faults on the modern grid, providing immediate, tangible benefits. This enhances the products and services we offer, supporting a clean, reliable, and safe energy future for our customers.

Source: Article from “EPRI 2023 Technology Transfer Award Winner, National Grid” on T&D World Website, published on 6 January 2025.

John-Paul Knauss
Head of R&D and Innovation, National Grid (USA)
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