TEPCO PG and NTT DATA to Use AI for Detecting Abnormalities in Substation Equipment
December 17, 2018
TEPCO Power Grid Inc.
NTT DATA Corporation
Tokyo, December 17, 2018 – TEPCO Power Grid, Inc. (TEPCO PG) and NTT DATA Corporation today announced that they will begin installing a solution equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) for visual/sound analysis to detect and diagnose abnormalities in distribution substation equipment of TEPCO PG. By installing the solution in some 1,300 distribution substations from next April, TEPCO PG expects to reduce time spent on inspection patrols in the field by more than 50%.
Image/video-analysis AI developed by NTT DATA will learn substation operational data to detect abnormalities such as oil leaks in oil-immersed transformers and damage to substation facilities, including even barrier fences, and to read analog meters. Sound-detecting AI will detect abnormalities such as damaged or worn bearings.
TEPCO PG, like many other grid companies in Japan, is faced with the challenge of managing aging facilities at a time when available labor is declining. The two companies decided to install the solution after its efficiency was confirmed in demonstration tests involving both underground and aboveground substations in 2017.
NTT DATA’s Digital Maintenance Solution integrates processes for facility maintenance planning and implementation. Image/video-analysis AI, which combines deep-learning and video-analysis technologies, is based on the “AMY INSIGHT” AI solution of Automagi Inc., a developer of technologies that automate visual-analysis functions, which humans normally perform, to detect abnormalities, identify objects and diagnose damage.
The sound-analysis AI learns normal sounds using NTT DATA’s Monone® solution, which is built on various technologies of the NTT group. Monone visualizes and analyzes sound using abnormal-sound-detection technology, one of the NTT group’s corevo® AI technologies, to detect signs of wear/damage, optimize maintenance costs and raise operational uptime.
Going forward, TEPCO PG aims to leverage its collaboration with NTT DATA to further advance its power equipment maintenance technologies, reduce wheeling charge, and enhance power-supply stability. NTT DATA will continue enhancing the solution by integrating various analytical models and robotics technologies that support equipment inspections and operations. NTT DATA also will develop a digital maintenance IoT platform to help power, gas and railroad companies maintain their equipment more efficiently. The platform will use an architecture model that stores and utilizes various sensing data obtained from user companies, open sources and the field.
Monone® is a registered trademark of NTT DATA Corporation in Japan.
corevo® is a trademark of NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION.
Other trade names, company names or group names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
TEPCO Power Grid, Inc.
TEPCO Power Grid Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. engaged in electric power transmission and distribution. It maintains one of the most stable power supplies in the world, including an average annual outage rate of 0.06 per household and outage time of 6 min per household (both figures FY2015 actual), based on highly reliable equipment and advanced technology.
About NTT DATA
NTT DATA is a leading IT services provider and global innovation partner headquartered in Tokyo, with business operations in over 50 countries. Our emphasis is on long-term commitment, combining global reach with local intimacy to provide premier professional services varying from consulting and systems development to outsourcing. For more information, visit www.nttdata.com
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