Prysmian Group develops innovative wireless technology

Prysmian Group develops innovative technology for wireless measurement of partial discharges (PD) in electrical systems.

Prysmian Group, world leader in energy and telecom cables and systems, launches an innovative,exclusive technology for measuring partial discharges in electrical cables, accessories andequipment.Partial discharge (PD) measurement is a crucial procedure for assessing an electricalsystem's condition, as it is one of the critical parameters evaluated during product manufacture,installation and after-sales. Partial discharge measurement, which is typically carried out byspecialists using traditional technology, requires the customer to switch off the electricalsystem, connect it to the test equipment and conduct the diagnostics. This procedure leaves thesystem idle for several hours during each test.Instead, the new wireless technology-based system allows measurements to be made without anycontact, meaning that the electrical system does not have to be switched off, thus making thetesting process significantly faster.This innovation allows the Group to explore new opportunities, since it makes it possible toextend PD measurements to voltage classes which were previously not tested, such as the mediumvoltage distribution network. PD measurements for both high and medium voltage networks can now beperformed on a continuous basis at substations, wind or solar farms, cruise ships etc. Thepossibility of monitoring systems without service interruption now makes it possible to carry outpreventive maintenance in order to detect potential issues and prevent failures."This service confirms the Group’s leadership in innovation, guaranteeing an improvement inthe services offered" states Agusti Valls y Prats, Prysmian Group R&D Director. "We havealready tested the new product with some of our leading customers in Italy, Spain, Argentina andCanada and have received very positive feedback in terms of test results accuracy and speed ofexecution. For example it was possible to measure partial discharges of more than 60 wind farmtowers in Sardinia in record time."Prysmian Electronics S.r.l. is in charge of new technology development and implementation;this Group subsidiary will be supported by the expertise of the corporate R&D function and it

will focus on exploring new Smart Grid related applications for measuring other parameters such as:temperature, voltage, current leakages, current intensity etc. that are critical for controllingthe state of grid operation.Prysmian GroupPrysmian Group is world leader in the energy and telecom cables and systems industry. Withsales of some €7 billion (pro-forma 2010 Prysmian/Draka) and 22,000 employees across 50 countriesand 98 plants, the Group is strongly positioned in high-tech markets and provides the widest rangeof products, services, technologies and know-how. In the Energy sector, Prysmian Group operates inthe business of underground and submarine power transmission cables and systems, special cables forapplications in many different industrial sectors and medium and low voltage cables for theconstruction and infrastructure industry. In the Telecom sector, the Group manufactures cables andaccessories for the voice, video and data transmission industry, producing optical fibres, opticalcables and connectivity. Prysmian is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange in the Blue Chipindex.