On-Ramp Wireless wins grant to improve grid

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - The U.S. Department of Energy DOE awarded On-Ramp Wireless a grant to contribute to the improvement of the nationÂ’s distribution grid.

The grant will enable On-Ramp to utilize its award-winning Ultra-Link Processing ULP wireless communication system to develop and demonstrate the first wireless grid sensor and faulted circuit indicator capable of monitoring underground and other hard-to-reach distribution circuit locations from a fixed installed network.

On-Ramp will conduct the project on in partnership with two western utilities.

Large utilities are challenged with managing tens of thousands of distribution grid sensors, above and below ground, in a given service area. This often means the sensors end up being largely unmonitored until a fault event occurs, usually in an emergency situation. A system that is capable of reliably and securely reaching into the below ground sensors would significantly reduce time to isolate, repair and restore service to consumers.

Utilizing its technology, On-Ramp will develop and demonstrate the first wireless system to address this ability using the DOE grant.

On-Ramp successfully demonstrated the ability to connect wireless sensors throughout the distribution grid in a field test with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. SEL this July. In the test, Wireless Sensors for Overhead Lines WSO from SEL were combined with On-RampÂ’s fully integrated ULP system to monitor and report real-time fault indication and condition data. This enabled a comprehensive view of the distribution grid performance, results of which can be used not only for rapid and precise fault location, but also for predictive maintenance, grid automation, long-term grid efficiency and capital planning.

“This project demonstrates the traction On-Ramp is having with large utilities, many of which have been looking for a wireless system to effectively connect underground sensors,” said Joaquin Silva, president and CEO of On-Ramp. “We are also pleased to continue building on the successful partnership between On-Ramp and SEL.”