LineVision Inc.

444 Somerville Ave.

Somerville, MA 02143 USA

LineVision - Overhead Line Monitoring

 LineVision Inc.
444 Somerville Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143 USA

Overview
LineVision’s approach to monitoring utilizes non-contact, tower mounted sensors that take EMF
measurements and scan conductors with LiDAR to determine their position and other critical
properties. This uniquely allows LineVision’s systems to monitor all 3 conductors in a circuit or all
6 conductors in a double circuit with a single monitoring system, resulting in fewer monitoring
systems to accomplish dynamic line ratings and greater visibility of the asset’s behavior. The
non-contact approach means no outages are required, and no hot sticks or helicopters are
needed to install equipment minimizing installation risk, time and costs.
Furthermore, LineVision’s system provides unprecedented situational awareness data on asset
behavior with the included LineAware platform. LineAware measures the sag and blowout of
each conductor phase and provides customizable alerts on anomalies, conductor damage, and
limit exceedances, helping to ensure safe operations. When implementing LineVision, you gain
full visibility into your overhead line’s performance, not just one third of it when only monitoring
one phase with clamp-on devices.
Optionally, we can also provide the LineHealth platform which tracks changes in conductor health
over time. The system creates periodic LineHealth reports which analyzes the effects of extreme
weather events, high temperature cycling events, generates revised safe operating limits based
on conductor elongation, and determines a projected end of life.

LineHealth: Non-Contact Conductor Asset Health Monitoring

Overview and Failure Modes of Conductor Loss of Strength
We understand you are faced with the challenge and responsibility of systematically maintaining
your ever-aging overhead lines while also maximizing the useful life of those assets. This balance
is governed by taking into account multiple factors relating to risk and safety codes such as the
requirement to maintain an acceptable clearance to ground distance as defined by the National
Electrical Safety Code and the ability of the conductor to maintain continuous operation at a
designated temperature without sustaining damage resulting in a loss of strength. Conductors
utilizing hardened aluminum such as ACSR, ACAR, and AAC that have experienced temperatures
above 100°C have been shown to exhibit a loss of strength due to annealing, which is the
metallurgical softening of the aluminum wires after exposure to high temperature followed by a
subsequent cooling cycle.
The aluminum used in these conductors gains much of its strength by the process known as
work hardening. In the case of ACSR, approximately 70% of the strength of the 1350-H19
aluminum used comes from this work or strain-hardening process where the aluminum is shaped
by plastic deformation which causes the grain structures within the aluminum to slide against
each other, and as more plastic deformation occurs, there are fewer slip planes left to deform
resulting in a hardened aluminum. If the temperature of the aluminum reaches its annealing point,
this will reset the crystalline grain structure, rebuilding the slip planes, eliminating the strength
gained from the work hardening process.1

1
https://www.pjm.com/~/media/planning/design-engineering/maac-standards/bare-overhead-
transmission-conductor-ratings.ashx

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 LineVision Inc.
444 Somerville Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143 USA

The most common conductor type that has been designated for assessment in the request for
proposal is the Aluminum Conductor, Steel Reinforced variety (ACSR) which utilizes aluminum
outer layers with a core of steel wires. While the steel wires will not anneal at standard operating
temperatures, the aluminum may exceed its annealing temperature during the course of normal
operations. The overall loss of strength of the conductor can be expressed as a function of the
remaining strength of both the aluminum and steel wires. A typical healthy ACSR conductor gains
approximately half its strength from the aluminum wires and half its strength from the steel
wires.
If corrosion of the steel core is occurring, measuring the remaining cross-sectional area of the
steel core wires in the conductors can reveal useful information, however, this alone does not
provide a complete picture of the conductor’s remaining strength.
In the case of ACSR, the steel is only providing half the strength of the overall conductor. If
annealing of the aluminum has occurred from a high-temperature event, this will likely not
degrade the structural performance of the steel core, however, the fifty percent of the conductor
strength that is provided by the aluminum may have been compromised, leading to possible
increased sag and damage putting the conductor at or near its end of usable life.
LineVision’s Approach to Assessing Conductor Condition
LineVision’s LineHealth analyzes the historical loading patterns of the line along with historical
weather information to determine if annealing was likely to have occurred in the previous years of
operation of the circuit and estimates to what degree the high-temperature effects have damaged
the conductor. This historical estimate is then aided with data from the LineVision V3 monitoring
system which records field-based measurements of conductor sag and determines temperature.
This information is used to compile a comprehensive sag/temperature relationship curve over an
ever-increasing range of observed conductor operating conditions.
The result of these analyses are periodic reports providing utilities with new information on
conductor risk profiles including detailing the calculated historical conductor damage plus an
analysis on the current health state based on the observed sensor-based information. The reports
contain the following information:
1. Analysis of historical conductor high temperature annealing damage and loss of strength
2. Estimation of remaining useful asset life
3. Observed conductor sag/temperature relationship curves
4. Determination conductor damage expressed as elongation via a comparison of the
observed conductor’s sag/temperature to the expected “book” standard.
5. Recommended revised safe operating limits based on a recharacterization of the
maximum operating temperature to acceptable sag limit

Scope of Work
LineVision will provide the monitoring equipment, technical direction at installation, calibration,
data communications, Data Portal access with the information described below, and hardware
warranty for the duration of the LineAware Annual Service & Support Contract, which commences
on the Installation Date or 30 days after delivery of the equipment, whichever is sooner.

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 LineVision Inc.
444 Somerville Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143 USA

Client may use the software only for internal business purposes and may not copy, distribute or
grant access to any of the data to any third party without written consent of Seller

LineAware:

Access will be made available to the online Data Portal within fifteen (15) days of the Installation
Date. The deliverables listed below will be made available via the Data Portal:

1. For all conductor phases (A, B, & C), conductor sag (feet or meters)
2. For all conductor phases (A, B, & C), conductor horizontal blowout (feet or meters)
3. For all conductor phases (A, B, & C), conductor tension (lbs or Newtons)
4. Average conductor temperature for the monitored stringing section (Deg F or Deg C)
5. Line Power Information including:
a. Circuit current (Amps)
b. Real Power (Megawatts);
c. Reactive Power (MVARs);
d. Apparent Power (MVA)
6. Detection of galloping and alerts for any conductor phase
7. Detection of ice formation and alerts for any conductor phase
8. Local ambient weather conditions

LineRate:

To provide the most accurate values for Dynamic Line Ratings, LineRate utilizes a machine
learning process to train the data and requires a range of different operating conditions to be
observed by the system which may require up to 45 days to appear in Data Portal. Once trained,
this data will be backfilled to the original Installation Date.

1. Dynamic Line Rating*

2. Forecasted line ratings, hourly, up to 48 hours out*
3. Short-term emergency ratings (STE), time-configurable*

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 LineVision Inc.
444 Somerville Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143 USA

LineHealth:
After 6 months, or sooner as data collection permits, LineVision will produce a LineHealth report
based on accumulated data. Where made available by the customer, historic line loading data
can be processed through our LineHealth module and incorporated into the LineHealth report for
deeper insight. An update to the LineHealth report will be released every 6 months, based on
LineAware readings that impact asset health. If severe weather such as iceloading or galloping
storm events occur, a LineHealth report will be generated on an exception basis to analyze the
damage.

1. Analysis of historical conductor high temperature annealing damage and loss of strength
2. Observed conductor sag/temperature relationship curves
3. Determination of conductor damage expressed as elongation via a comparison of the
observed conductor’s sag/temperature to the expected “book” standard.
4. Recommended revised safe operating limits based on a recharacterization of the
maximum operating temperature to acceptable sag limit
5. Estimation of remaining useful asset life

Alerts:

User configurable alerts for various events can be set, including, but not limited to:

● Line temperature near/exceeding designed maximum operating temperature;

● Line sag near/exceeding its clearance limit; and
● Line current flow near/exceeding its static operating limit;

Alerts will be available within 30 days of the Installation Date.

Customer Responsibilities
Customer will be responsible for supplying necessary tools and equipment and onsite crew to
perform unit installations (standard options are described in the LineVision V3 Installation Guide).

Customer will provide the necessary engineering information as described in the LineVision V3
Installation Guide by completing the Line Specification Worksheet (provided separately)..

For LineHealth, Customer shall provide as much historial loading information as possible in order
to make best use of the historical conductor damage model. The loading information should be
provided in a .CSV or equivalent format clearly indicating the units of power (Amps, MW, etc) with
timestamps ideally with the loading value reported hourly.

Customer will also share available field data on conductor corrosion measurements to provide
supplemental information to refine LineVision’s LineHealth models and further characterize the
failure mode of the conductor as steel corrosion vs annealed aluminum.

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 LineVision Inc.
444 Somerville Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143 USA

Sensors
The LineVision V3 system incorporates multiple sensors housed in IP66 or better enclosures that
allow for monitoring of overhead line physical and electrical operating conditions:

● Electromagnetic field (EMF) sensors: induction coil and capacitive plate sensors are used
to measure electromagnetic fields emitted by overhead conductors. Measured data is
analyzed to determine current flow and power flow/direction on three-phase AC circuits.
Typically installed on or near an overhead line structure pole/leg.
● LiDAR laser optical sensor: an optical scanning device that performs a periodic
measurement of conductor positions in three dimensions, allowing for accurate
determination of sag/clearance and conductor galloping/icing conditions. Typically
installed on an overhead line structure pole/leg at a distance no greater than 30m from
the monitored conductors.
● Onboard sensors: Thermometer, Battery Voltage Monitor - housed within the enclosure.
● Weather data: For each installation site, a latitude, longitude and height specific
interpolated weather model is custom created. Data is collected from various numerical
models from weather service agencies around the planet and observations from reliable
weather stations. This information is taken into the system, bias corrections are
performed, and data then is moved to an integration which determines the optimal now-
cast and forecast for each location and time.

Power Supply
The LineVision V3 system operates on a standalone/self-powered 12V DC power supply that can
be outfitted in several configurations, depending on customer and site requirement needs.

● Batteries: Lead-acid AGM or lithium primary batteries are used to provide continuous DC
power to the LineVision system.

● Solar photovoltaic array: Including a battery charge controller, this system provides energy
to recharge the batteries. A typical installation would specify a 40 Watt-capacity
polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic panel with approximately 25” x 21.1” (65.5cm x
53.5cm) surface area mounted on an articulating bracket. Solar panels should be
mounted in a south-facing orientation for installations in the northern hemisphere.
Installation sites will be analyzed to determine if additional panels are recommended.
● Optional Mains Power: The LineVision V3 System can be powered via locally available via
12/240 Vac mains power or via methanol fuel cells for long-term recharging of the battery
eliminating the need for a solar panel.

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 LineVision Inc.
444 Somerville Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143 USA

Installation
For standard on-structure installations, the client’s utility crew or authorized representative must
perform the physical installation of the V3 System on the structure, with the support and on-site
technical direction of trained LineVision field technicians and/or approved local agent partners of
LineVision. Customer installation in the absence of a LineVision field technician is not supported
or recommended due to the sensitive nature of EMF and optical sensor placement. LineVision
works closely with the asset owner/operator to ensure that the installation process adheres to all
applicable local safety regulations and policies. For additional information please refer to the
LineVision V3 Installation Guide.

● No Outage or Live Line Work Required: The system is able to be installed when
transmission lines are energized as no equipment is placed on the conductors but rather
on the tower structures.

● No Conductor Limitations: The system can monitor and provide information for any
conductor size, type, and bundle configuration without limitations.

Integration Into System Operations

LineVision data backhaul is designed as a secured cloud-based service for seamless integration
into utility operations including EMS, SCADA, and Historian applications such as the OSI PI
System. Onboard cellular and/or satellite modems transmit sensor data via secure VPN to the
LineVision cloud server, where additional advanced analytics are performed. Locally compatible
modems and SIM cards are provided by LineVision. The logical flow diagram below outlines the
system architecture.

System data is made available to end users via multiple simultaneous methods including:

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 LineVision Inc.
444 Somerville Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143 USA

1. Secure Data Portal

System data is made available on a web interface secured via HTTPS protocol utilizing Secure
Socket Layer (SSL) Version 1.2 or later and uses NIST-approved algorithms and key lengths.

The Data Portal contains a powerful set of features designed for the best user experience and
includes:
- Dashboard View of All Monitored Sites - Map Export via KML
- Map View - Customizable Data Rates
- Statistical Analysis Tools - Toggleable on/off Data Sets
- Data Export via CSV - Customizable Alerts

LineVision V3 Data Portal

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 LineVision Inc.
444 Somerville Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143 USA

2. API
LineVision data is provided by way of a RESTful API which allows customers to automate and
integrate LineVision Data.

3. OSIsoft PI System Integration via OSIsoft Message Format (OMF)

A real-time data feed is available which can deliver OSISoft Message Format (OMF) messages to
a secure OSISoft PI System endpoint. To work in this manner, the PI System must be configured
with PI Web API module. LineVision's OMF Data Feed runs in the AWS Cloud Environment. OMF
data is sent across a secure HTTPS protocol for delivery. LineVision’s and utility IT groups will
collaborate to configure and finalize OMF data types in a manner which correspond to the internal
PI System Models. The OSIsoft Message Format (OMF) defines a set of message headers and
bodies that can be used to generate messages for ingestion into a compliant back-end system.
OMF can be used to develop data acquisition applications on platforms and in languages for
which there are no supported OSIsoft libraries. OMF itself does not define or depend on any
particular binary message protocol (HTTP, AMQP, Kafka, etc.) It is instead based on an abstract
message type, where a message consists of a set of key / value pairs, called the headers, and a
binary payload, called the body. OMF messages can thus be constructed using any message
protocol that defines headers and bodies.

Information Security Management

LineVision is committed to the highest level of data integrity for our clients and is undertaking the
ISO 27001 certification process. The ISO 27001 policy process establishes LineVision's
Information Security Management System (the "ISMS") in order to protect the confidentiality,
integrity, and availability of information assets under LineVision's control.

ISMS sets forth requirements and standards related to:

● Risk management
● Security policy
● Organization of information security
● Asset management
● Human resources security
● Physical and environmental security
● Communications and operations management
● Access control
● Acquisition, development, and maintenance of information systems

Third-Party Cybersecurity Penetration Testing

Independent 3rd party company Securicon was contracted by an existing LineVision North
American electric utility client to provide a security assessment of the LineVision V3 system.
Securicon tested the LineVision application offered in the SaaS environment to determine
whether it can be accessed by an unauthorized party, and whether its data or infrastructure can
be compromised in any way. The report included results of the vulnerability assessment of the
LineVision monitoring devices and web application. The application assessment took place from
August 12 to August 20, 2019 and was conducted remotely from the Securicon offices in
Alexandria, VA. The application assessment consisted of both automated and manual
vulnerability scanning and analysis in order to identify technical and procedural weaknesses that

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 LineVision Inc.
444 Somerville Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143 USA

may create risk to utility assets, and organizations. During the assessment, several automated
security scans were run and vetted, and manual testing was performed.

The assessments combined penetration testing and technical vulnerability analysis to identify
technical weaknesses that create risks to utility information technology (IT) assets. During the
assessment the application URL enumerated above was crawled, scanned, and reviewed.
Information collected was then analyzed to identify vulnerabilities and issues that might affect
overall information security posture.

For web application assessments, Securicon follows a general three-phase methodology that can
be customized and tailored for virtually any unique web application: (1) information gathering, (2)
fuzzing and input validation tests, and (3) tests for application logic flaws. These phases are
described below:
Information Gathering: The information-gathering phases entails Securicon consultants simply
using the application and understanding how the application is designed to function. Since most
web applications are unique, it is essential that Securicon consultants familiarize themselves with
the application so that they can understand how the application may be attacked. This phase
included “spidering” the application to discover all available content and potential attack vectors.

Fuzzing and Input Validation Tests: This phase aims to discover general input validation issues by
both fuzzing all available input parameters in the application in both a manual and automated
fashion. It is during this phase that Securicon typically discovers common web applications flaws
such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection.

Tests for Application Logic Flaws: This phase aims to discover subtle flaws in the logic of the
application that may be difficult or impossible for an automated scanner to discover. It is quite
labor-intensive and requires deep familiarity with how the application works. It is during this
phase that Securicon consultants will discover flaws such as cross-site request forgery (CSRF),
authorization or authentication flaws, or improper session management.

During the course of the assessments, Securicon utilized a number of tools including a variety of
custom, commercial, and open-source tools. Below is a list of some of the tools used during the
assessment:

• Burp Suite Web Application Security Platform – Burp Suite is a package of tools for assessing
modern web applications. Burp provides functionality for web spidering, scanning, and custom
manipulation of web application inputs.

• Nmap – Nmap is a utility for network discovery and security auditing. nmap is often used for
identifying targets, port scanning, fingerprinting servers, and finding certain types of
vulnerabilities.
• SSLScan - SSLScan is a utility that queries SSL services, such as HTTPS, in order to determine
the ciphers that are supported.

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 LineVision Inc.
444 Somerville Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143 USA

• The Metasploit Framework – The Metasploit Framework is a platform for the development and
execution of vulnerability assessments and exploit code. Metasploit contains exploit code for a
variety of known vulnerabilities and is readily available as a free, open-source package.

• SQLMap – SQLMap is an open source penetration testing tool that automates the process of
detecting and exploiting SQL injection flaws and taking over of database servers.

• OWASP ZAP - ZAP is an open-source HTTP intercepting proxy for testing web applications and
web services.

Information collected was analyzed to identify vulnerabilities and issues that might affect overall
information security posture. Various tasks were performed including physical inspection of the
components that were embedded in the system case, analysis of wireless signals, and testing of
the internal network. The original device assessment determined that there are no significant
vulnerabilities, and therefore they present minimal risk to utility network. All initial findings have
been remediated.

Sincerely,

Gerhard Biedenbach
Director of Sales
LineVision, Inc.
gbiedenbach@linevisioninc.com
+49 170 4875884

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