Overview

Objective

When designing and maintaining distribution infrastructure, utilities now have to consider the risk of wildfire, including how to prevent ignition, how to design infrastructure that is more wildfire resistant, and how to inspect and maintain existing infrastructure post-wildfire exposure. This project plans to perform R&D to better identify materials, technologies, and practices utilities can implement to address these challenges.

Approach

This research will include the following tasks:

• Grid Monitoring Technology Research - This task investigates the ability of new and existing technologies to detect conditions that could lead to wildfire ignition. Research activities include technology scouting, laboratory testing of technologies under controlled conditions, and documenting utility case studies.
• Covered Conductor Performance - Utilities have begun deploying covered conductor to prevent wildfire ignition. However, deployment of covered conductor brings its own challenges, including additional weight, reduced ampacity vs. bare conductor, and potential corrosion issues. This task investigates the performance of covered conductor to help utilities better understand the implications of adoption.
• Recloser Health Monitoring - When faults occur, distribution automation (DA) equipment needs to respond appropriately, especially when delayed responses could enable ignition of a wildfire. Recloser operating times can change over time due to use or disuse. DA assets capture and report analog measurements and digital statuses that can serve as inputs to assess DA equipment health.
• Downed Conductor Detection Technology Assessment - Downed conductors are a potential ignition source for wildfire as well as a public safety hazard. This research investigates downed conductor technologies to learn more about detection thresholds, implementation requirements, and potential for false positives and false negatives.
• Disaster Response and Recovery - Restoration activities greatly benefit from real-time situational awareness of the electrical system and the environment. This research task examines how utilities collect, analyze, and use data to optimize disaster response efforts during wildfires.
• Component Flammability - Overhead distribution systems can experience arcing due to wildlife, lightning, conductor slapping, or component degradation. This research task will test the flammability of distribution materials to help utilities select components that are resistant to ignition.
• Ignition Energy Investigation - One option to mitigate wildfire ignition is to enable fast tripping of protective devices to reduce the amount of energy released during a fault. However, it"s unclear how quickly protective devices would need to operate to reduce the likelihood of ignition of various fuels, such as dried grass or leaves. This research task plans to perform laboratory testing to better quantify ignition energy requirements to better inform protection settings.

Research Value

The research will impact members and the public by reducing the impact of wildfire, including:

• Enabling utilities to select and deploy technologies capable of detecting electrical issues that could ignite wildfires
• Enhancing selection of materials and infrastructure that reduce the likelihood of ignition and are more tolerant of wildfire exposure, improving restoration time
• Providing inspection and maintenance guidance after wildfire exposure to better optimize recovery efforts

Past EPRI Work on Topic

Key Related Links

• 2023 – 2025 Wildfire Supplemental Project
• EPRI Wildfire Mitigation Research
• Wildfire Advisory Group