Research & Development to Enhance Safety, Operations and Customer Experience

An innovative spirit is one of our company’s greatest assets. Our research and development (R&D) teams work diligently to find solutions that make the workplace safer, improve our operations and enhance our customers’ quality of life. Many of our ongoing projects are described below.

Safety

Completed a feasibility study for a distribution cable splicing machine, and set the timeline for development of a prototype in 2023. Envisioned benefits are improved safety resulting from reduced worker time in underground electrical enclosed spaces and enhanced reliability from less variation in the quality of machine-made splices.
Developed the next generation Test Lamp which includes a Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (CECONY) patent pending audible feature. The first prototype provides the dual verification of visible LED light and audible tones to indicate voltage, as well as resolves supply chain difficulties in sourcing incandescent lights.
Continued development and optimization of the electric safety job briefing application, which is designed to help mitigate high hazard injuries and allow for completion of comprehensive job briefings. The job briefing administrative portal allows for enhanced reviewing capability, approval tracking, and is designed to be integrated with other company systems.

Operational Excellence

Developed major undergrounding initiatives with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy and Brookhaven National Lab. These initiatives, coupled with potential Department of Energy (DOE) announcements identifying transformative energy initiatives, will greatly enhance the operation and maintenance of our current underground systems as well as increase the ease of future installations.
Recently awarded funding by DOE for a cyber security research project called ‘Tracking Real-time Anomalies in Power Systems’. The project will seek to enable cross-domain integrity monitoring, anomaly detection and localization in power grid cyber-physical systems.
Filed with the New York Public Service Commission the Advanced Transmission and Distribution Technologies Research Plan. CECONY R&D chaired and led the effort of the New York Joint Utilities Advanced Technologies Working Group (ATWG) to develop and prepare a research plan, that addressed “identifying and removing barriers to the deployment of new technologies,”The ATWG, comprised of representatives from the New York Joint Utilities and the New York Power Authority and will focus on the assessment of three grid-enhancing technologies – dynamic line rating, power flow control, and energy storage – for potential deployment to help meet the goals of the Climate Leadership Community and Protection Act.
Conducted a field demonstration of a robotic device that moves autonomously on a pre-determined path, recognizes switchgear cubicles containing equipment, and carries visual and infrared cameras. Designed in collaboration with the Stevens Institute of Technology, the next step is development of a means to analyze collected data and provide actionable information to station operators and maintenance teams.
Joined a major industrywide climate resiliency initiative, Climate Resilience and Adaptation Initiative (Climate READi) led by EPRI. Climate READi will use decades of research by EPRI, U.S. National Research Laboratories, the DOE, academic institutions, and others to create a comprehensive, industry-accepted framework of guidebooks and decision-supported tools that provide guidance for utilities about how to implement different aspects of the framework.
Completed the feasibility study for the Steam System’s Optimization Model. Developed a roadmap to enhance planning and dispatch of the steam system through better forecasting.
Completed the final prototype of the steam main robot in partnership with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Customer Experience

Continued field testing Electro-Hydraulic Fracturing technology. This technology uses plasma energy to break rocks exposed during construction activities, offering quieter and faster operation when compared to using conventional tools like jackhammers.
Highlighted CECONY’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure natural gas detector (NGD) deployment, the largest active NGD case study in the nation, at a Northeast Gas Association sponsored workshop.

Clean Energy

Chose a demonstration site for SHARC’s Energy Systems’ PIRANHA wastewater heat pump, which is designed to extract thermal energy from a hotel’s sewer line before it exits the building and use it to preheat domestic hot water distributed via a hydronic central system. This system can significantly reduce natural gas usage of existing on-site two dual-fuel boilers and provide ongoing energy savings.
Further field tested the zero emissions vacuum (ZEVAC) Mini to augment the use of ZEVAC technology by field crews. Designed to be used on smaller pipe sizes, the ZEVAC Mini avoids natural gas emissions by pumping the gas out of a gas main that is being taken out of service and into the portion of the gas main still in service.
Participated in the Edison Electric Institute, “Investing in Long Duration Energy Storage: A Catalyst for Our Clean Energy Future” event. The event focused on the urgency of moving more long duration energy storage technologies from R&D to deployment, while also stressing R&D and commercialization is one continuum – research, development, demonstration, and deployment.
Joined the newly launched Resilient Energy Studio to explore advanced energy storage capacity in New York City. The Resilient Energy Studio promotes entrepreneur-led pilot projects and the CECONY team provides ongoing technical support for this multi-stakeholder effort. The first cohort consists of four companies selected to design and deploy pilot projects across NYC through Q2 2023: (1) de-risking energy storage through safer zinc technology; (2) battery algorithms to optimize performance and lifespan of energy storage assets; (3) accessibility of extreme-fast electric vehicle charging; and (4) optimization of energy storage assets for urban campus environments.
Took delivery of an industry first all-electric bucket truck. Evaluation of the overall performance of this fully functional and certified prototype class 7 all-electric bucket truck, similar to our existing fleet units with its traditional cab-chassis design, began in Q1 2023 for a period of three years.
Joined the Industry Advisory Board of the Building Energy Smart Technologies (BEST) Center. The BEST Center seeks to advance energy systems for buildings, cities, and grids to be intelligent, resilient, and efficient.
Demonstrated the first of its kind fuel-agnostic heat pump using thermal compression cycle made by ThermoLift. Installed at Con Edison’s Learning Center, it will provide heating and cooling to one of the classrooms and is capable of 30-50% energy savings. Even more unique is the fuel-agnostic burner – capable of using any low carbon fuel including hydrogen. This is a 12-month demonstration. Ideal market applications could be single home residential and small commercial buildings.
Participated in the third annual Competitive Energy Systems Symposium of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, including speaking on the hydrogen end use panel about CECONY’s plan to decarbonize our steam system. .

Awards and Patents

Awarded a three-way patent, with Palo Alto Research Center and General Electric, for an approach to detecting partial discharge events through optical sensors.
Awarded a two-way patent with Palo Alto Research Center for a transformer corrosion monitoring system using optical sensors.
Awarded a new patent for a multimodal test device that reengineers the outdated voltage test device to include multi-color LED and audible response mechanisms to measured voltage variations.
Awarded a new patent for a device and method of monitoring battery electrolyte levels.
Awarded a new shared patent, with ULC Robotics, for a system for servicing cable that includes a field-end and live-end assembly.
Awarded a new patent for an apparatus designed to limit event energy in underground structures.