Enhanced Condition Monitoring with Wireless Sensor Networks in HVDC Stations

Abstract:
Modern critical infrastructure demands advanced digital condition monitoring, reliable operation and rapid troubleshoot-ing capabilities. High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) stations, as a part of critical infrastructures, also share similar requirements, but are very specialised stations, in which components are exposed to different electromagnetic levels and environmental conditions, and have restricted access to service personnel, making it challenging to fulfil such require-ments. Deployment of sensor networks for temporary measurement campaigns can be cumbersome and costly. With the progress of wireless technologies in the last decades, wireless sensor networks have positioned as a valuable alternative for temporary deployments in different domains. This work presents the design of a wireless sensor network pilot to be implemented in a real HVDC converter station in Germany. The proof of concept aims to demonstrate the feasibility of wireless sensor monitoring in different environ-ments of the station, both indoors and outdoors. This work describes a high-level architecture of the wireless sensor network, and lists communication and cybersecurity challenges associated with the deployment of wireless sensor net-works in HVDC stations.