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Monitoring Electrical Cable Challenge: The Future of Underground Inspection by Duquesne Light Company

BY GINA SPARROW | 1 min read

DLC is excited to announce that their crowdsourcing competition, Monitoring Electrical Cable Challenge is officially open and accepting submissions! Innovative minds from across the world are invited to participate in this new and challenging project.

Individuals and teams interested in participating are being asked to develop novel solutions to monitor and detect precursors to failure in underground Medium Voltage Power Cables. The solutions will be used to monitor the health of the cables used in underground electrical networks.

Worldwide, we have 20 million miles of electrical cables beneath our feet and these cables support the critical infrastructure we rely on each day. As these cables age, it is important to proactively monitor their health so that we have consistent access to electrical power. 

The challenge will have three (3) phases over 24 months:

  • In Phase 1, up to five (5) semi-finalists will receive $10,000 prize money and be invited to Phase 2.
  • In Phase 2, up to five (5) semi-finalists chosen in Phase 1 will develop a prototype version of their solution. Up to two (2) finalists will receive $100,000 and be invited to Phase 3.
  • In Phase 3, up to two (2) finalists from Phase 2 will be invited to install their solution on a live circuit, and the judging panel will evaluate the solutions.

One (1) winner will receive $250,000 and the chance of a contract to install their solution across an extensive underground electrical network. The winner is expected to be announced in December 2023.

To learn more about the desired technical readiness of solutions and the full breakdown of prizes, visit the Guidelines here https://www.herox.com/DLCCableChallenge/guidelines. 

Ready to join the community of innovators working to solve this problem? Visit the challenge page here https://www.herox.com/DLCCableChallenge to get all the information and register to participate!

 

Happy Innovating!

 

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