Breaking Through Communication Bottlenecks, Safeguarding Power Supply Security

      Zhejiang Rockwell Energy SMS Communication Distribution Network Automation Service's Multinational Cases

In the global process of power distribution network construction, communication conditions have always been a key factor affecting the level of distribution network automation. Especially in remote areas of Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and some developing countries, 4G communication network signals are weak and unstable. Traditional distribution network automation equipment that relies on 4G networks struggles to function. Once a fault occurs in the distribution lines, operation and maintenance personnel are often unable to be informed in a timely manner, leading to prolonged power outages. This not only affects the normal lives of local residents but also causes huge losses to enterprise production and regional economic development.

Addressing this industry pain point, Zhejiang Rockwell Energy Technology Co., Ltd., guided by customer needs, has conducted in-depth research and innovation, launching a feeder automation terminal (recloser controller) with SMS communication functionality. This provides an efficient and feasible solution for the construction of distribution network automation in areas with poor 4G networks. Currently, this solution has successfully served multiple countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Russia, Laos, Yemen, and Mongolia, becoming an important support for local power supply companies to improve power supply efficiency and ensure stable power supply.

Focusing on Core Pain Points, Innovating Communication Modes

As a core device for protecting distribution lines, the feeder automation terminal /recloser controller has the primary responsibility of real-time monitoring of line operation status, and rapid response and precise protection when faults occur. The terminal developed by Zhejiang Rockwell Energy not only inherits the powerful protection functions of traditional equipment, including current three-stage protection, overload protection, overvoltage/undervoltage protection, frequency protection, etc., which can comprehensively safeguard the safety of distribution lines and avoid the expansion of impacts due to line faults, but more importantly, it breaks through the limitations of communication networks — by adding SMS communication functionality, it completely gets rid of dependence on 4G networks.

In areas with weak or completely absent 4G signals, fault information from traditional terminals cannot be uploaded in a timely manner. Operation and maintenance personnel often only become aware of faults after receiving user complaints, and then spend a lot of time troubleshooting the fault location. This process often results in power outages lasting several hours or even longer. However, Rockwell Energy's terminal with SMS communication functionality, the moment a line fault is detected, automatically sends key information such as fault type and fault location to the mobile phones of operation and maintenance personnel via SMS, achieving "instant notification upon fault". Operation and maintenance personnel do not need to wait for user feedback; they can grasp the fault situation immediately, quickly rush to the scene with tools, significantly shortening the time for fault troubleshooting and repair, and effectively reducing the duration of power outages.

Practices in Serving Multiple Countries, Empowering Economic Development

From Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos, to Mongolia in Central Asia, and Yemen in the Middle East, Rockwell Energy's feeder automation terminal with SMS communication functionality has been applied in the distribution networks of multiple countries. It has won recognition from local power supply companies with practical results, injecting strong impetus into improving regional power supply reliability and promoting local economic development.

In remote rural areas of Cambodia, previously due to insufficient 4G network coverage, distribution line faults occurred frequently and repairs were delayed. Villagers often faced long-term power outages, with irrigation equipment unable to operate normally and household electricity needs difficult to meet, seriously affecting agricultural production and quality of life. Since the introduction of Rockwell Energy's SMS communication feeder automation terminal, the fault notification time has been shortened from an average of 4 hours to within 10 minutes, the maintenance efficiency of operation and maintenance personnel has increased by more than 60%, and the power outage duration in rural areas has been reduced by more than 15 hours per month. This not only ensures the normal domestic electricity use of villagers but also enables stable agricultural irrigation, and the local rice output has increased by 8% due to stable power supply.

In the Siberian region of Russia, the extremely low-temperature environment places higher demands on the stability and communication capabilities of distribution network equipment. Rockwell Energy's terminal can not only operate stably in a low-temperature environment of -40℃, but its SMS communication function can still reliably transmit fault information even when the signals of some communication base stations are weakened due to severe cold. Local power supply companies stated that after the terminal was put into use, the average fault handling time has been shortened by 2.5 hours, and the annual loss of industrial output value due to power outages has been reduced by approximately 12 million US dollars, effectively ensuring the continuous production of local mining, processing, and other industrial enterprises.

In Yemen, affected by the regional situation, communication infrastructure in some areas has been damaged, and 4G networks are often interrupted, posing great challenges to distribution network operation and maintenance work. Rockwell Energy's SMS communication solution, with its advantages of not relying on complex communication networks and strong stability, has become an important choice for local power supply companies. After the terminal was put into use, even when 4G networks are interrupted, fault information can still be transmitted in a timely manner, and the power outage duration has been reduced by 40% compared to before, effectively ensuring the electricity needs of important places such as hospitals and schools, and providing a solid power support for local people's livelihood security and social stability.

The following shows some of the functions

Query function

Send a query command, and after the system responds, it will send a return text message. The content of the text message includes all the status of the device and the electricity measurement data.

Custom modification function

Send a setting modification command, and the corresponding setting will change to the value you modified

The above functions can be implemented either through the APP or through the SMS function.

Customer-Centered, Continuing to Innovate and Move Forward

Zhejiang Rockwell Energy Technology Co., Ltd. has always adhered to the concept of "guided by customer needs, driven by technological innovation". The successful research, development, and application of the feeder automation terminal with SMS communication functionality this time is a precise breakthrough after the company gained an in-depth understanding of the pain points of distribution networks in different countries and regions. In the future, Rockwell Energy will continue to focus on technical difficulties and customer needs in the global distribution network automation field, continuously optimize product performance, develop more distribution network automation solutions adapted to different environments and scenarios, contribute Chinese strength to the safe and efficient operation of global distribution networks, help more countries improve power supply quality, and promote the sustained and healthy development of regional economies.