With sensors and online monitoring software, Treetech ensures stability of the Olympic Energy

During the Olympics, Brazil received more than 10,000 athletes, about 25,000 journalists and a large number of fans and tourists from over 200 countries affiliated to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). To make this possible, the country made use of million reais to invest in an impressive and efficient infrastructure, which featured a brand new electric power distribution system, following international standards and adopting the latest technology to avoid blackouts or any problem: predictive monitoring technology, sensors and software of Treetech.

In the first half of 2014, the state Furnas, responsible for generating and part of power transmission from the Southeast, and Light, a private company that distributes electricity in the city of Rio de Janeiro, signed a shareholders’ agreement for the construction and administration Olympic Substation intended to supply the Parque Olímpico da Barra, located in Barra da Tijuca.

Olympic Games medals.
Photo: Rio 2016

Following the numbers of people involved in the event, the numbers involving the construction of the Olympic Substation impress: three three-phase transformers of 145 kV with 40 MVA power (Megavolt amperes), housed in a concrete complex with 14.5 meters tall (counting the basement), 81 long and 26 wide. In all, around R$ 150 million invested by the Ministry of Mines and Energy for the construction of the substation, which has the capacity to provide electricity to a major neigborhood, sucha as Ipanema, with 20,000 houses.

The total of 120 MVA is more than necessary to meet the need of the Olympic Park, home to eight sports arenas, which concentrate 16 of the 41 modalities of games. The maximum load for the Olympics is 80 MVA. However, the structure will enter the power grid distribution of the city of Rio de Janeiro after the event.

And to ensure the reliability of this whole system, responsible for the work they chose Treetech technology. With a front of about 90 cm², the sensors that monitor real-time temperature, voltage, the condition of the bushes and stock tank expansion of transformers, may not impact by size, but guarantee a substantial improvement in distribution.

Allied and connected to Sigma4net software, also developed by Treetech and connected on a server in the substation, small sensors installed in the panels of the transformers provide on the display of a computer – in real time – all data collected for the analysis of experts ready to detect any anomaly, featuring predictive monitoring, which ensures time for serious failures are avoided.

Parque Olímpico da Barra – supplied by Olympic Substation- overview. Photo: Gabriel Heusi/Brasil2016.gov.br.

Maximum temperature only in the arenas – intelligent monitoring sensors Treetech guarantee peace in power supply

Temperature is a quantity that, incorporated to sportive vocabulary, varies constantly during competitions. It can not be, however, at the substation, specifically in the transformer, as its value must be stabilized in order to ensure safe and uninterrupted supply of quality energy.

To monitor such dimensions in the Olympic Substation, the Treetech and TM1 sensors – for temperature, were selected. Join them in the sensor team, the AVR – which monitors the voltage, the PI – which indicates the switch position of the tap; BM – which measures the insulation capacity of the bushing; MBR – which checks for breaks or leaks in the membrane or expansion tank bag; and MO – monitoring the presence of water in the oil.

In all, there are 15 sensors (five in each of the three transformers) in Olympic Substation. They are connected by an RS485 serial network, which comes to a converter for Ethernet or optical fiber. Thus, the information is brought to a server and can be read on any computer.