Application
Camera solutions are rapidly becoming a standard feature in modern hydroelectric power plants. Itis standard for new power plants, and it is also retrofitted on existing power plants. A camera provides many advantages, and the investment often pays off within less than a year.
Safety for personnel and the public is very important for power companies, and a camera solution provides the ability to see if there are people near the power plant e.g. when the power plant will be started up, or when the gates shall be adjusted.
Reduced OPEX is a focus area for many power companies. A camera solution provides better situation awareness, and it may reduce the number of visits to a power plant.
Cameras provides the ability to detect unwanted activity in a power plant, and video recording supported by a video management system (VMS) may help if break-ins or vandalism is a problem.
Some typical applications for CCTV-applications are:
- Video surveillance for better situation awareness.
- Perimeter security including:
- Detection of movement inside a power plant.
- Prevention of break-ins and vandalism in a power plant.
- Access control to the power plant.
- Automatic license plate recognition on cars.
- Thermal monitoring of equipment in a power plant e.g. turbines, transformers and distribution boards.
- Presence of personnel in case of fire.
- Remote reading of analog displays, digital displays and indicator lamps in legacy equipment not accessible remotely.
- Detection of water flooding, oil leak, broken window, open door and window.
- Calibration of sensors by reading staff level gauges.
- Detection of icing conditions on equipment.
- Detection of build-up of ice in rivers.
- Surveillance of the reservoir water surface.
- Surveillance of trash rack at inlet including both above and below water.
- Surveillance of gates at water inlet, dam or powerplant.
- Surveillance of spillways.
- Monitoring of sand trap.
- Remote support for personnel in the power plant.
- Video recording for break-in and vandalism.
- Audio recording in power plant
Technology
Scanmatic is a vendor-independent system integrator that delivers fixed or adjustable (PTZ) cameras, for indoor and outdoor use, from several leading camera vendors. The cameras are often supplemented with Ethernet switches used as communication media and power supplies based on Power over Ethernet (PoE). The cameras can, if necessary, be equipped with microphones for audio recording and loudspeaker for audible warnings or audio communication. Scanmatic delivers both optical and thermal cameras. In addition, underwater cameras can be supplied together with lamps for use for monitoring of water inlets or sand traps.
A VMS is often a part of the system providing a better user interface and several advanced features e.g. access control or video recording.
