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Case Study
Westfalen Weser Energie
Keeping an Eye on Relay StationsWestfalen Weser Energie is using
innovative video and communication solutions from Intel, Cisco, and
IBM to facilitate themonitoring and repair of relay stations. The
mobile devices used by the service technicians are provided by
Panasonic. Westfalen Weser Energie operates distribution networks
for electricity, gas, and water in the East Westphalia-Lippe and
South Lower Saxonyregions. During recent years, video-based
communication solutions have been installed at a number of relay
stations. These not only ensurecomprehensive monitoring of the
equipment concerned, but also improve cooperation between the
service technicians on the ground andthe experts back at the
control center. For example, repair-related issues can be clarified
via video conference. This enabled the company tooptimize work
processes, improve protection of the relay stations, and reduce the
amount of work and expense associated with equipmentmonitoring. The
technology for this innovative communications solution is provided
by IBM, Cisco, Intel, and Panasonic.
The solution from our partners
Cisco, IBM, Intel, and Panasonic
helps us improve the way we
monitor our relay stations.
Reimar S, Project Manager, Westfalen Weser Energie
Based in Paderborn, Westfalen Weser Energieoperates regional
distribution networks forelectricity, gas, and water. The
WestfalenWeser Energie network covers around 6,400km across two of
Germany's federal stateswithin the regions of East
Westphalia-Lippeand South Lower Saxony. The electricity net-work
stretches for some 31,500 km, thenatural gas network for around
4,000 km,and the water supply system for 2,400 km.From the control
room in Bad Oeynhausen,the company manages and controls
theequipment spread across the region, withconsiderable emphasis
being placed on cli-mate protection and energy efficiency.
Improving Protection of Relay StationsRelay stations are the
nodes within energydistribution systems. They provide the
linkwithin the electricity network between dif-ferent voltage
levels, making it possible tospecifically activate or deactivate
individualoverhead lines or sections of cable. Ordinarily,they
function very reliably for years at atime and undergo routine
inspections every12 weeks. However, these spot checks donot really
provide much protection againstpossible theft of copper and there
is no realscope for rapid intervention in the event offaults or
precarious situations.
Being aware of this, Westfalen Weser Energiewas looking for a
video and communicationssolution for comprehensive monitoring
ofrelay stations. This would ensure faster res-olution of problems
involving equipment and
result in more efficient repairs. "A majorconsideration was the
need to improve com-munication between the service technicianson
the ground and executives in the controlcenters. Important
information regarding thestate of the equipment should be
forwardedmore quickly. Thus far, data had been recordedon paper in
most cases," points out ReimarS, Project Manager at Westfalen
WeserEnergie.
All this has to be considered against the back-drop of massive
changes in personnel theenergy sector is currently facing. As
manyas 50% of technical staff will be retiring withinthe next few
years. The infrastructure of thenetwork operators, however, is
designed tohave a life span of 40 years or more. Theindustry is in
the middle of a changing process,with tomorrow's service
technicians expectedto have a number of strings to their bows.The
use of mobile service technicians andexternal service providers is
on the increase,while the number of specialists supportingthem from
control centers is steadily declining."Because of that we have to
develop an ef-ficient communications and knowledgeplatform to come
to terms with these demo-graphic changes," emphasizes Reimar S.This
also includes a uniform database fortask-specific data. Previously,
data has beenpartly stored in various systems, in a redundantstate.
To avoid any resulting media interrup-tions and sources of error,
service technicianswill in future use digital means to recorddata
on the ground via their mobile device.
Installation of the IP-cameras at the relay
stationKirchlengern
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Video Monitoring and Video CommunicationAs part of a joint pilot
project involving Cisco, IBM, and Intel, WestfalenWeser Energie
fitted out the relay stations at Kirchlengern and Minden-Meien with
special Cisco Video Surveillance 6400 IP Cameras,which can also be
used at night thanks to their integrated infraredtechnology. The
video data from the monitoring systems is stored ata central
location in HD quality for a relatively long period. The back-end
server platform is based on Intel Xeon processors with
energy-efficient performance and numerous functions for improved
datasecurity and reliability.
"We use 'Intelligent Video Analytics' software from IBM to
assessrecordings made in the field. It detects any faults and
unauthorizedaccess in the video images and automatically informs
the networkcontrol room about these specific events," explains S.
Mobile de-vices, such as notebooks and tablets, are used to
optimize supportand cut the amount of time spent traveling. For
example, the mobileservice technicians and external service
providers use Panasonic'srobust TOUGHBOOK CF-H2 or TOUGHPAD FZ-G1
tablet PCs, whichcan be used in any weather conditions and even
guarantee greatreadability when used outdoors in direct sunlight
thanks to speciallydeveloped display technologies.
The technicians communicate via the mobile device with the
expertsat the central control room if they need any help solving a
problem.The speech, data, and video solution from Cisco transfers
images andspeech. It is not about showing faces or gestures in the
first place; itis more a case of the service technician using the
camera integratedin the Panasonic tablet to transmit the error
situation to the experts.They in return see a perfect impression of
the problem on their high-resolution monitor and can therefore
discuss how to resolve theproblem with the technician concerned,"
explains Reimar S.
Panasonic's PCs TOUGHBOOK CF-H2 and TOUGHPAD FZ-G1 tabletsare
based on Intel Core vPro processors, which combine excellent
processing power with great energy efficiency. Intel vPro
technologygreatly simplifies the management of mobile computers and
desktopPCs, since it makes it possible to do inventories, diagnose
errors, carryout repairs, and provide protection via remote access
across PC net-works. It supports booting, diagnostics, and repairs
of computers viaremote maintenance. As a result, the administrator,
with the agree-ment of the user, can access the BIOS and screen
content for therelevant device remotely without even switching on
the PC. Theservice technicians' Panasonic tablet PCs also feature
Intel Anti-Thefttechnology to prevent data theft.
Integration within the Existing Network "The video and
communications solution can be integrated into ournetwork
architecture," says S. It is used in two relay stations onthe 110
kV level and in the control room for the electricity networkfor
video monitoring purposes. Including design, development,
andtesting, the project ran for 19 months from December 2011 to
June2013. The new communication elements were developed during
anumber of phases. The first step was to install the LAN and WAN
infra-structure based on Cisco Catalyst 3560 systems. Components
are inter-connected via the existing data network of Westfalen
Weser Energie.
Special outdoor WLAN access points were then set up at the
tech-nology centers and relay stations to ensure mobile employees
arereadily contactable. In addition, secure access via VPN
solutions isincorporated so employees (engineers, technicians, and
seniortechnicians) with Panasonic tablets also have easy access to
coresystems via mobile communications.
Video monitoring was one of the last applications to be
installed. Thecentral master and operational locations are equipped
with telephonesintegrating comprehensive video functionality and
even video con-ference systems. Communication Managers provide the
necessaryservices for telephone and video communications, instant
messaging,and information concerning availability.
The video and communications solution from Cisco, IBM, and Intel
optimizesmonitoring of relay stations
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High Efficiency and Acceptance LevelsReimar S is very satisfied
with the results of the project, especiallyas the new solution is
increasingly accepted by employees working inthe technical field
service, as well as with the control room and ex-ternal companies.
"The feedback from our employees is that processeshave become more
efficient as a result of simplified visual inspectionsof equipment,
quicker responses in the event of problems occurring,or the time
saved in terms of maintenance tasks or approvals." Forexample, a
stationary video camera immediately identifies whenpeople approach
and whether a person trying to corrupt the fenceis a cause for
concern, in contrary to the routine inspections every12 weeks. The
video cameras also improve monitoring of buildingsand sites in
terms of preventing theft or unauthorized access todangerous
areas.
As soon as the video camera establishes a disruption, an
engineersets off to inspect the damage. "We often end up with a
situationwhere a colleague on the ground is not sufficiently
familiar with therelevant equipment or the damage emerged to deal
with all the re-pairs required," explains Reimar S. This is where
the mobile videoconference becomes so valuable: the colleague on
the ground speaksto the expert at the control center by telephone,
displays the damageusing the camera in the Panasonic tablet, and is
talked through the main-tenance required. Thanks to mobile devices,
long journeys to carry outrepairs lasting effectively only a few
minutes can be kept to a minimum.
Cameras therefore reduce the work and expense associated with
theinspection of equipment. Routine physical inspection of a relay
stationevery 12 weeks takes around 3 hours, plus the travel time
forwardsand back and plus the time needed to put together a
detailed report.Given that there are 115 relay stations in the area
covered by Westfalen
Westfalen Weser Energie: Based in Paderborn, Westfalen Weser
Energie operates re-
gional distribution networks for electricity, gas, and
water.
The Westfalen Weser Energie network covers around 6,400km across
two of Germany's federal states within the regionsof East
Westphalia-Lippe and South Lower Saxony.
The electricity network stretches for some 31,500 km. Fromthe
control room in Bad Oeynhausen, the company managesand controls the
equipment spread across the region.
Situation/Challenge: Westfalen Weser Energie was looking for a
solution to safe-
guard its relay stations more effectively against
unauthorizedaccess and damage by third parties.
The idea was to resolve disruptions on the ground morequickly,
save on traveling costs, and for the control center toprovide
better support for mobile service technicians.
Another objective was to develop an IT platform enabling eas-ier
access to data relevant to the task occurred.
The use of mobile IT and communications technology was ex-pected
to enable service employees to access the latest tech-nical
information and data at any time.
Benefits at a Glance: Thanks to the new video and communications
solution, West-
falen Weser Energie is able to better protect its relay
stationsagainst theft and unauthorized access.
More efficient processes as a result of simplified visual
inspec-tions of equipment or a faster response in the event of
afault.
Specialist experts from the control room are able to help
serv-ice technicians on the ground carry out repairs using their
ex-pertise via mobile video conferencing.
Development of a uniform database for task-specific data.
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Solution/Key Technologies:
Cisco:
Portfolio Borderless Networks: Cisco Catalyst 3560 for the LAN
and WAN infrastructure; Cisco Integrated Services Routers,
remoteaccess via Cisco AnyConnect VPN, wireless access via the
Cisco 5500 Wireless Controller Series.
UCS system: server platform based on Intel Xeon processors for
assessment of videos.
UC portfolio: Cisco Jabber client, Cisco Unified IP Phones
9000-series as video terminals, Cisco TelePresence EX90 table-top
systemsfor video conferences, Cisco Unified Communications Manager
as the central server system for speech, video, availability
information,and messaging.
Cisco Video Surveillance 6400 IP Cameras.
Special Cisco 2520 Connected Grid Switch systems for energy
providers (ruggedized, extended temperature ranges).
IBM:
"Intelligent Video Analytics" software for assessing recordings
made in the field
"Maximo Asset Management" software for managing tasks and
maintenance work.
Services include
Implementing and providing detailed architecture planning,
taking into account all technical and organizational factors.
Analysis of technician work processes to secure an optimized
display on the new mobility applications and to eliminate
unnecessaryand time-consuming work steps.
Helping the customer install technical components in the
difficult environment associated with a relay station.
Intel:
Intel Xeon processors for the server platform Cisco UCS at the
back end.
The mobile devices used by service employees feature Intel vPro
processor technology with functions for optimized remote
maintenance,as well as Intel Anti-Theft technology for protection
against data theft.
Panasonic:
TOUGHBOOK CF-H2 and TOUGHPAD FZ-G1 tablet PCs, which are both
durable and reliable in adverse weather conditions, as mobile
devicesfor service technicians.
In collaboration with:
Copyright 2013 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel and
the Intel logo are trademarks of the Intel Corporation in the
United States and other countries. *Other trademarks or product
names are the property of the respective owners.
0713/JNW/RLC/XX/PDF 329037-001EN
Remote management simplifies maintenance of devices and error
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