We designed and implemented a complete hardware system for remote monitoring of LVO (aerial warning lighting) installed on very high voltage masts. The system is conceived as a surveillance and monitoring application, where high reliability, resistance to electromagnetic interference and the ability for long-term autonomous operation without operator intervention is key.
The solution consists of autonomous monitoring nodes located directly on individual masts. Each node consists of a control communication unit (CU) and a power regulation module (REG), which have been completely designed in-house - from schematics and PCB design to embedded firmware. The control unit provides LVO status monitoring, diagnostic data acquisition and transmission to the higher-level system.
Communication between the masts is via a sub-GHz MESH network in the 868 MHz band, supplemented by mobile GPRS uplink at selected nodes. The network architecture is designed redundantly so that even in the event of a single node failure or uplink failure, the availability of LVO status information is maintained. Data transmission is implemented with respect to security and operational reliability.
The power supply of the system is designed to be energy self-sufficient using a photovoltaic panel, a battery and a highly efficient MPPT controller. Continuous monitoring of the energy balance, temperature and ambient lighting allows reliable operation of the LVO even in adverse climatic conditions.
The proposed hardware and the entire monitoring system are deployed in active continuous service on a real 400 kV line. Long-term operation has confirmed the high robustness of the solution, stable power supply and reliable communication in a critical power infrastructure environment.
