State Grid Anhui Electric Power Research Institute uses digital tools to prevent floods

Since April, some regions in China's Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces have been affected by the continuous heavy rainfall, leading to frequent occurrences of floods and geological disasters.

According to meteorological forecasts, the precipitation in the Anhui region during this summer is expected to increase by 50 to 80 percent compared to the usual levels. The possible extreme rainfall-induced floods pose a great threat to the safe and stable operation of the power grid.

The State Grid Anhui Electric Power Research Institute is utilizing digital tools and other technical expertise to carry out flood prevention and the maintenance of power grid equipment.

On Thursday, at the inspection site of the Yungu 220 KV transformer substation in Hefei, Anhui province, maintenance personnel inspected goods and materials regarding flood prevention and uploaded related information.

Technical staff members from the institute conducted statistical analysis of all units through the Anhui power grid disaster prevention platform. Those efforts provided robust support for power grid flood prevention.

Power grid flood warning and prediction is a data-intensive task, and the institute is actively advancing the collection and integration of data in need. By gathering data from various sources such as the number forecast center, hydrological bureaus and meteorological departments, an intelligent algorithm system for warning of floods and geological disasters is being constructed.

Through the use of data and positioning systems, disaster warnings of particular stations or lines can be achieved. Real-time risk prediction can be sent to front lines through the platform to help initiate flood prevention emergency responses, organize patrols and ensure timely access to flood information.

Based on the inspection operation app, maintenance personnel can conduct inspections of low-lying substations, ground wire station buildings, foundational waterlogged poles or towers and other power grid facilities.

All flood prevention risk information can be found at the disaster prevention platform. Utilizing digital methods to monitor and control the progress of risk management, they have achieved a full-process control from risk identification, to formulation of risk management plans and finally to the elimination of the risks.

Additionally, based on the distribution of risks, a refined scheduling of flood prevention can be organized.

Combining historical data on floods, flood-prone areas, and other relevant information, technical personnel from the institute utilized the disaster prevention platform to analyze high-risk power grid equipment in flood-prone areas.

Innovative technologies such as three-eye cameras, videos and the precise monitoring of water levels within stations were employed to accurately monitor water levels. Furthermore, drone inspections and shared tower videos were utilized to achieve precise disaster monitoring across all areas at all time.

The State Grid Anhui Electric Power Research Institute, in line with the requirements of digital transformation in power grid flood prevention, has established a digital control system for power grid flood prevention processes.

This initiative addresses the challenges faced by power grid flood prevention work in areas such as prediction, material transportation and on-site inspections during flood seasons. It enhanced the prediction and warning capabilities, promoted the usage of digital tools, and supports the digital transformation of the company.