During their Electrical and Electronic Engineering course, students Reinier and Sam developed a test box for high-voltage substations, commissioned by grid manager TenneT. Thanks to the box, fewer test coordinators are needed at each location. And that was exactly the intention, because in the coming years there will be more work than the company’s technicians can handle.

What does the test box look like?

At the Kleefse Waard Industrial Estate (IPKW) in Arnhem, a test box for high voltage technology was recently installed. It is a metal casing, filled with wires and other hardware. At the front, there is a small screen with buttons, at the back there are a large number of inputs for various plugs. To the layman, the box may not look particularly revolutionary, but the engineers working on it know better.

What was the assignment?

The box was built by Reinier van Beijnum, a graduate student, and Sam Degens, a trainee student in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the HAN. They were commissioned by TenneT. This high-voltage grid operator is developing methods to expand and maintain the electricity grid more efficiently. The test box built by the students contributes to this.

What is the innovation?

Once all high-voltage fields have been standardised, they can be tested in the same way. This offers opportunities for automation. For example, by using a cabinet for testing secondary components. The cabinet built can be linked to a field cabinet. “With our box, you can check whether each signal – or the right terminal or pin – enters the connector. There are 26 connectors, you plug them all in, and then the device can simulate all the messages itself”, explains student Sam Degens.

If the test box is used, only one test coordinator is needed on site, while two are needed without the box. The box therefore provides considerable savings, in terms of working hours. But whether it will actually be used on a large scale, that is yet to be seen. The test box relies on the use of flexible cables and plugs to connect various components. But the high-voltage grid operator does not yet know whether this will be the way fields are built in the future.

Will there be a follow-up?

Yes, students will continue with this project for the time being. When Reinier and Sam have finished, the hardware will be ready. After that, other aspiring technicians will take over and continue developing the software. “The test philosophy still needs to be properly researched,” says Renier. And Sam adds: “Research needs to be done with all the coordinators involved. How do you want this thing to test? From there you have to write the software. That’s important for acceptance within the organisation.”

How did the students experience the project?

The students look back on their assignment positively. They had instructive discussions with all kinds of experts within the organisation, they were able to feast their eyes on high-voltage substations and ultimately they delivered a product that excited their client. “What I really like is that we now have a physical product,” says Reinier. “It’s more than just a report that you pass on to different departments.

The test box is not the only result that benefits TenneT, the students further specialise in high voltage technology. This means that they are ready for the main-voltage world, where technicians are not readily available.

Source and photo: HAN