RAM-1 Remote monitoring of surge arresters and power grids

The RAM-1 continuously monitors the network’s performance, detects outages, reports the location of faults, and additionally monitors the condition of the surge arresters it is mounted on. Beyond these features, the device detects lightning strikes and other overvoltages in the network, identifies sudden increases in ambient temperature (which can serve as a wildfire alert), and detects changes in the installation angle (inclination/tilt). If there is any movement or displacement, the device promptly notifies the user. Moreover, the device is capable of edge-based machine learning, enabling it to predict when the surge arrester it monitors might require replacement.

All faults and critical detections are reported immediately. For communication, the device requires a 4G or 5G mobile network with LTE-M or NB-IoT service, or alternatively, a suitable LoRaWAN network. Most mobile operators have supported these services for several years, so mobile communication should not be an issue in NZ region.