LiDAR-based protection of substations

Substations play a key role in the electrical supply network and therefore require reliable protection against unauthorized access, manipulation and vandalism. A simple fence is often not sufficient to provide this security. That's where innovative LiDAR technology comes into play, providing additional protection for the area.

Substations are used to connect different voltage levels on the energy transport route between the power station & end consumer.  

There are systems in both urban and rural areas, each of which brings different security risks.  

Operation in substations is fully automated due to the high degree of automation, which makes protection against unauthorised access elementary.  

Previous unreliable systems: 

The data quality of cameras decreases drastically in bad weather, as well as false alarms caused by vegetation or animals.  

Thermal cameras are not compliant with privacy laws.  

Radar sensors measure with low resolution and provide unusable data as soon as metallic objects are in their vicinity.  

The answer to this challenge: 

LiDAR captures the surroundings in 3D using laser technology. The technology works independently of ambient light, both day and night, in any weather. The three-dimensional nature of the data enables data protection-compliant surveillance, as no persons are identified. LiDAR sensors clearly recognise whether an object is in the field of view, which prevents deception. If an intruder is detected, an alarm can be triggered. The level at which an alarm is triggered can be flexibly adjusted so that animals and vegetation are not recognised as intruders and false alarms are avoided.

LiDAR sensors are installed along the fence surrounding the substation. Using the appropriate software, a safety zone is defined along the fence. As soon as an object that exceeds the defined size of a human intruder enters this zone, an alarm is triggered immediately, notifying the security personnel.