A new technology — unlike anything else currently in use — has been developed at Texas A&M to help electric utilities prevent wildfires and outages.
This one-of-a-kind hardware and software system called Distribution Fault Anticipation (DFA) can diagnose problems on utility lines before outages darken neighborhoods, power failures spark wildfires or fears of wildfires prompt massive, preemptive power outages. DFA interprets variations in electrical currents on utility circuits caused by deteriorating equipment. It warns utility operators to respond to particular problems before they begin.
Engineers at Texas A&M developed DFA over 20 years of research and testing at more than a dozen utility companies across the nation.
Due to the widespread interest in preventing wildfires, Dr. B. Don Russell testified in December 2019 before the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to explain the technology’s advantages.
Until now, utility companies had to wait and react to failures because electrical equipment is durable and deterioration of devices is difficult to see. That makes visual inspection and preventive maintenance only marginally helpful.
Utility representatives have long recognized that something new is needed to address the nation’s aging infrastructure. DFA answers this need.
DFA was developed as a ‘crystal ball’ to help utility companies forecast reliability, but the team also saw its potential for preventing wildfires, as more than 4,000 Texas wildfires were caused by power lines in 2009, 2010 and 2011, the Texas A&M Forest Service found.
The Texas A&M research team is led by Russell and Dr. Carl L. Benner.
FEATURED RESEARCHERS
Dr. B. Don Russell
- Engineering Research Chair Professor
- Regents Professor
- Harry E. Bovay, Jr. Chair