Products CAT-1 Series 3 Main Unit
CAT-1 TRANSMISSION LINE MONITORING SYSTEM
The first CAT-1 Transmission Line Monitoring System was installed by Virginia Power in 1991.  Since then, over 300 Transmission Line Monitoring Systems have been installed at 95 utilities in over a dozen countries on five continents including the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Norway, Poland, the Netherlands, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East.

Over two thirds of the 30 largest utilities in North America have CAT-1 systems, and over half of those utilities operate CAT-1 systems in real-time to provide accurate real-time ratings to utilities' EMS/SCADA.

The CAT-1 Transmission Line Monitoring System allows accurate real-time rating of transmission lines, by monitoring the mechanical tension of both ruling span sections at a deadend structure.  Sags, clearances, and average conductor temperature are all directly related to CAT-1 measurements.   With line ampere data from your EMS/SCADA system, an actual line rating is calculated.

On August 4, 2000, we shipped our 200th system - a milestone we are very proud of!  Our 300th system was shipped in 2004!

Sales Brochure

To learn more about the benefits and features of CAT-1, start with our 6 page color brochure.

CAT-1 Series 3.1 Brochure (PDF) 2.3MB

Interested in CAT-1? Contact our sales staff.

CAT-1 Series 3.1 Data Sheets

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   CAT-1 Series 3 Main Unit
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   CAT-1 Real Time Data Sheet (PDF) 130KB
   CATMaster Base Station Data Sheet (PDF) 68KB
   CATMaster Base Station/D20 Data Sheet (PDF) 94KB
   Load Cell Data Sheet (PDF) 108KB
   IntelliCAT for Windows (ICW) Data Sheet
   (PDF) 93KB

Real-Time Rating Application

CAT-1 Series 3.1 (Real-Time)

Each CAT-1 main unit monitors the performance of two line sections terminating at a deadend structure.  The CAT-1 main unit is a NEMA-enclosed, solar powered, data acquisition and processing unit, complete with a two tension monitoring load cells, a Net Radiation Sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, and CAT-1W Clearance Warning firmware, connected by an umbilical to the CAT-PAC.

Data Sheet

CATMaster Base Station

The CATMaster acquires data from up to four CAT-1/CAT-PAC units via a spread spectrum radio transceiver.  The data is then translated into the utility's EMS protocol, and is communicated directly to the EMS master.

Data Sheet

CATMaster Base Station with D20 RTU

The CATMaster acquires data from up to four CAT-1/CAT-PAC units via a spread spectrum radio transceiver.  The data is then translated into the utility's EMS protocol, and is communicated directly to the EMS master.

CATMaster/D20 Data Sheet

IntelliCAT for Windows (ICW)

IntelliCAT for Windows (ICW) is a turnkey solution to support operational use of real time thermal capacity ratings for transmission lines. Rapidly deploy fully operational thermal rating systems for multiple transmission lines with minimal demand on EMS/SCADA programming resources.

Data Sheet

Load cells

Two stainless steel tension monitoring load cells are connected to each CAT-1 main unit, each monitoring one suspension section in each direction from a deadend.  The Valley Group's patented load cells are the only available load cells for use in a transmission line environment.

Data Sheet

Net Radiation Sensor (NRS)

Net Radiation Temperature (NRT) is measured by the NRS, which provides an ingeniously simple method of combining ambient temperature with wind and solar effects (and emissivity and conductor time constant) to greatly simplify measurements and rating calculations.

A second NRS can be added to increase rating accuracy at structures where a large line angle occurs, allowing measurement of the different NRT on each line section.

Data Logging Application

CAT-1 Series 3.1 (Cellular)

Each CAT-1 main unit monitors the performance of two line sections terminating at a deadend structure.  The CAT-1 main unit is a NEMA-enclosed, solar powered, data acquisition and processing unit, complete with a two tension monitoring load cells, a Net Radiation Sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, and CAT-1W Clearance Warning firmware.  Data downloads by commercial cellular telephone.

Load cells

Two stainless steel tension monitoring load cells are connected to each CAT-1 main unit, each monitoring one suspension section in each direction from a deadend.  The Valley Group's patented load cells are the only available load cells for use in a transmission line environment.

Net Radiation Sensor (NRS)

Net Radiation Temperature (NRT) is measured by the NRS, which provides an ingeniously simple method of combining ambient temperature with wind and solar effects (and emissivity and conductor time constant) to greatly simplify measurements and rating calculations.

A second NRS can be added to increase rating accuracy at structures where a large line angle occurs, allowing measurement of the different NRT on each line section.

Other Applications
Ice monitoring, galloping, broken conductor.
Installed CAT-1 unit
 
U.S. Patent Numbers
5,235,861, 5,517,864, 5,559,430, 5,918,288.
Other patents pending.