Cables Equipped with “Smart Air Conditioning”: State Grid Zhoushan Power Supply Company Innovates Application of Phase Change Temperature Control Technology
Recently, technicians from the Marine Power Transmission Technology Research Center of State Grid Zhoushan Power Supply Company have been conducting temperature control material tests and online temperature measurement technology research on a newly laid cable.
In the dense pipeline cluster areas of the power grid, cables in enclosed environments are like being in a “sauna room” the hidden danger of local overheating caused by poor heat dissipation not only accelerates the aging of insulating materials but also may trigger faults, threatening the “lifeline” of the urban power grid. At the same time, the drastic fluctuations in electricity load and faults such as sudden short circuits place higher requirements on the cables ability to withstand short-term overloads.
How to solve the heat dissipation dilemma and enable cables to “withstand pressure” at critical moments? State Grid Zhoushan Power Supply Company has provided an innovative answer: it has independently developed and successfully laid an intelligent temperature control system integrating an online temperature measurement device and special phase change material (PCM) on line cables, equipping the safe operation of cables with a precisely regulated “smart air conditioning”.
This special material laid closely on the outer surface of the cable possesses the “intelligence” to “sense” temperature changes. When the cable temperature rises due to sudden load increase or poor environmental heat dissipation, PCM can instantly and efficiently absorb and store a large amount of heat through its own phase change, just like applying a “cooling patch” to the cable, effectively suppressing abnormal temperature rise.
The self-developed online temperature measurement device laid on the cable is like a “temperature sentinel” on duty 24 hours a day, accurately monitoring the operating temperature of key points of the cable in real time. Combined with the active temperature regulation function of PCM, the system realizes the “sensing-regulation” closed-loop management of the cables operating status, providing early warning information and decision-making basis for operation and maintenance personnel, and transforming passive emergency repair into active protection.
A technical expert from State Grid Zhoushan Power Supply Company said: “The application of self-developed online temperature measurement combined with phase change temperature control materials at key cable nodes is an important practice for us to improve the intrinsic safety level of the urban power grid. This technology not only solves the heat dissipation pain point of clustered laid cables but also endows the cables with the key ability to withstand and stabilize under extreme working conditions. It represents a new direction for intelligent cable operation and maintenance and active protection. We will continue to deepen its application to provide core support for building a stronger and more intelligent Zhoushan power grid.”
This innovative practice of State Grid Zhoushan Power Supply Company provides a practical “Zhoushan Solution” for solving the problem of safe operation of cables in dense urban corridors. It marks that the technology of intelligent cable temperature control and condition management has stepped onto a new level, and has important demonstration significance for promoting the intelligent upgrading of power grid equipment and ensuring the safe and reliable supply of energy. (By Zhang Cifeng, Wu Jiateng)