Con Edison working on two projects to improve worker safety
Con Edison is developing technology that is designed to improve worker safety when working on underground electric cables.
The New York-based company is working on two projects that will put machines, rather than people, near the underground power cable to do the necessary repair and maintenance work.
“To meet ambitious climate goals and mitigate the impacts of climate change, the energy industry is undergoing seismic shifts in the speed and scope of its work,” Patrick McHugh, senior vice president, Electric Operations at Con Edison, said. “That’s why Con Edison is thinking boldly about what we do and how we do it with safety as our top priority. We are investing in technology that will help keep energy workers safer, make their work more efficient, and produce consistent results that will improve reliability and resiliency for customers.
Splicers, workers who perform cable splices, often work in cramped underground structures subject to the elements – snow, sleet, rain, and extreme temperatures. These workers have used the same tools for generations.
However, that is changing. Earlier this month, Con Edison and ULC Technologies began field testing the Underground Live End Cap Machine. End capping is an essential technique used to isolate faulty sections of cable and allow the working portions of the cable to be restored to service to alleviate stress on the grid and reduce customer outages. This new machine makes isolating damaged cables safer for workers and improves the precision, uniformity, and speed of their work.
The other project the company is doing is in collaboration with Prysmian, Exelon, and the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). Con Ed and its partners will develop a machine that can join two cables at their ends.
This machine will be used for creating networks as well as repairing sections of damaged cable. Splicers will be able to operate the tool remotely to improve their safety, with greater efficiency, and accuracy. In addition to reducing risk and the time cable splicing crews need to spend underground, the device will speed up the time needed to complete a splice and improve the reliability of the splices.
The ARPA-E has provided a $4.5 million grant for this project.
