Telkonet, Inc. has announced a time and labor-saving addition to its 200 Mbps Telkonet Series 5 powerline communications (PLC) system: the new DIN-Rail mounting adapter. Designed for use with the Telkonet iBridge converter unit, Telkonet's new DIN-Rail adapter overcomes the problems of limited space in utility substation equipment cabinets, enabling the Telkonet iBridge units to be mounted vertically for maximum efficiency. The DIN-Rail adapters substantially decrease installation times, simply snapping onto the standard DIN-rails used for equipment mounting. The Telkonet Series 5 System uses existing electrical wiring within a substation to provide a highly reliable, secure communications network, enabling proactive monitoring of transformers and other equipment to improve reliability and save operation and maintenance costs.
As a lower cost, rapid deployment hard-wired secure communication platform, the Telkonet Series 5 system is rapidly becoming the system of choice for many utility substation installations, as an alternative solution to costly fiber-laying or potentially insecure wireless solutions. The Telkonet iBridge units provide a secure link between the Circuit Breaker Monitors (CBM) and the data collectors in the Control House, and are widely used for online Dissolved Gas Analyzer (DGA) and substation transformer monitoring. With Telkonet's latest labor-saving additions, a substation can typically be installed with the Telkonet Series 5 platform within a single day.
Telkonet is currently working on a major substation project in partnership with power transformer control and communications specialist, Dynamic Ratings of Pewaukee, WI, involving a major substation automation upgrade program for a large West Coast utility. More than ten substations installations have now been completed, using a combination of Telkonet iBridges installed with the new DIN-Rail adapters and the new inductive Telkonet Couplers that eliminate the need for circuit hard-wiring.
Dynamic Ratings' General Manager, Tony Pink explains the significant benefits of using this product in lieu of traditional approaches. ”The PLC system from Telkonet is many times cheaper and faster than installing fiber and it avoids the security concerns utilities have with radio systems. Based on our positive experience with the Telkonet Series 5 products, we are already implementing this PLC technology for other customers. With the focus on smart grid technologies and the benefits offered by getting more detailed monitoring analytics back from the substation assets, utilities are more interested than ever in this type of technology. And, with 88,000 substations in the U.S., there are plenty of installation sites that can benefit.”
At the equipment end, a Telkonet iBridge unit couples the signal onto a power conductor. Inside the control building, the Telkonet Coupler and Telkonet Gateway take the signal from the power conductor and connect to the substation gateway or the site’s external broadband feed. For installations where additional signal strength is needed, the Telkonet eXtender can be connected to provide additional reach.
