Highway tunnels are usually situated in distant, mountainous areas, so their power supplies feature an ultra-long-distance coverage and the distribution Monitoring systems have to detect a multitude of objects. This calls for diligent planning, design, selection and implementation. The system in this case is a result of Acura Embedded’s intensified R&D efforts and years of design, manufacturing and construction experience in the power automation monitoring industry. This system is developed based on various technical specifications and standards, and put forward with a view to highway tunnel monitoring characteristics.

The system should provide real-time and centralized management of power supply and distribution at each section of highways, real-time tracking of the information gathered at the front end of tunnels, and a good automatic alarm-sounding management platform. With various monitoring and protection devices fitted at the front ends of tunnels, it is possible to collect the operating status of power supply devices for lighting and ventilation, and to monitor the incoming line, outgoing line, and circuit breakers of switchboards. The system collects the information on malfunctions, and thus quickens the response to accidents and reduces power outages caused by malfunctions. Via the master stations at the monitoring center, it is possible to operate remote switches and contactor loops.

The operation control platform lies at the heart of daily operation and maintenance. It delivers video maps, and video, audio, writing expressing. It also features audio and light alerting, mobile phone alerting, and voice phone call alerting. It is capable of presenting in various forms the warning against objects, operating status, current equipment parameters, equipment status, and the analysis of historical data and so on. It also accepts mouse or keyboard commands from administrators, and route the commands concerning equipment remote control, parameter setup, system maintenance, software update, to on-site monitoring devices via communications servers.

The monitoring center is composed of the following equipment and systems.

·    1 x server (industrial pc or server, Windows Adv Server network operating system, SQL Server network database system, GNC-             Manager Network Administration Software, automatic alerting hardware) 

·     1 x operation platform (industrial PC, Windows Pro operating system, network administration software terminals)

The monitoring hardware at the front end of tunnels consists of Monitoring Host Computers, smart equipment monitors and different kinds of 485 check and control modules, including network monitoring host computers, voltage transmitters, current transmitters, universal input/output modules (which checks knife switch status and output control), power supply controllers and smart equipment monitors etc.

The monitoring host computer at the front end checks all operational status of the smart equipment at the substations with smart equipment monitors. By collecting the communication protocols, they route the data to the monitoring for real time management via the IP network.