With the completion of the installation of 63 sets of remote ice observation devices and 10 micro-meteorological devices, the ice observation operations on the intelligent monitoring screen at the transmission and distribution operation and maintenance center of State Grid Zaozhuang Power Supply Company in Zaozhuang, Shandong province began operation. Zi Shuai, the head of the intelligent inspection team, said that the online ice monitoring and real-time alerts marked that the intelligent ice observation mode is replacing the traditional manual on-site ice observation.

Located in the hills of southern Shandong, Zaozhuang is where cold northern air meets warm and humid airflow from the south, creating conditions that have led to freezing rain in extreme weather. The power supply company in Zaozhuang piloted the installation of three ice observation devices last year, and this year expanded coverage to the entire area. After encompassing all towns and streets in the six districts of Zaozhuang city, it has become the first city-level power supply company in Shandong with coverage of such devices.

The remote ice observation devices are installed on the second floor of transmission towers, monitoring 24 hours a day and calculating ice thickness on power lines based on changes in conductor weight, while the micro-meteorological devices collect real-time data on wind direction, wind speed, temperature and other parameters. These devices are mainly deployed in areas of terrain elevation, important crossing points, densely populated line areas, early warning points, and sections with spans exceeding 300 meters.

"In the manual mode, it would take at least 30 minutes to reach the nearest ice observation point by driving an off-road vehicle with chains or by foot. Now, we can monitor in real-time," Zi said. They are overseeing a total of 3,098 kilometers of power lines in Zaozhuang, as well as local maintenance tasks for 14 ultra-high voltage and extra-high voltage lines totaling 583 km. Thanks to the intelligent device, numerous points and a wide range of sections are receiving intelligent observation.