How can we secure our energy supply when climate change is posing particular challenges to Alpine regions in the form of extreme weather events, landslides and gradual ground movements? A solution is currently being developed at the MCI: a research group led by Dr. Franz-Josef Falkner (Department of Mechatronics / Fluids & Mechanics Research Cluster) is developing a digital early-warning system based on the principle of ‘predictive maintenance’, which detects risks to individual electricity pylons at an early stage and proactively prevents outages.
Electricity pylons are exposed to a wide range of environmental influences: In addition to corrosion, (creeping) slope movements pose a particular risk. As new power line routes in Tyrol are being diverted from the valley to hillside locations due to limited settlement space, this issue is expected to become increasingly significant. Until now, condition monitoring of individual electricity pylons has taken the form of an annual inspection of the entire power line route – with correspondingly long intervals between inspections.
This is precisely where the MCI’s applied research comes in: in the Structural Dynamics Laboratory, a high-precision, autonomous monitoring system has been developed which continuously records key physical parameters – such as inclinations, strains, accelerations and temperatures – at short intervals. This data is transmitted online and analysed immediately. The aim is to be able to assess the current condition of individual electricity pylons from the office and, on that basis, to initiate appropriate maintenance measures at an early stage.
Following the successful development and installation of the first prototype, the system is already undergoing field trials: the innovative technology is currently being tested for its validity and reliability at two test sites in the Tyrolean Oberland. The research project is being carried out in close cooperation with TINETZ-Tiroler Netze GmbH and envisages an intensive evaluation phase running until the end of 2027.
If this phase yields positive results, the next major step will follow: the series production of the MCI measurement system. The aim is to equip all at-risk sections of the grid in Tyrol comprehensively with these smart sensors. This will enable the creation of a permanently safe and intelligently monitored electricity grid in the Alps in the future.
©MCI/Falkner
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