Intermittent Faults

An intermittent earth fault occurs when a conductor occasionally contacts the ground – often due to aging insulation, loose connections, environmental conditions, or even rodent damage. This sporadic contact can cause electric shock risks, fires, and equipment damage.

Traditional detection methods, like fault passage indicators (FPIs), often fall short. They may miss small-scale faults, trigger false alarms, or struggle in complex grid environments. Intermittent earth faults also produce electrical transients, which Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® uses to its advantage – employing instant-on transient sensors and cloud-based analytics to capture and interpret these events.

By integrating GPS time synchronization, the Intelligent Grid System® accurately locates transients and pins down the root cause of intermittent earth faults. This proactive approach helps utilities spot potential issues early, prevent them from escalating, and maintain a more reliable grid.