Russian Scientists Develop Smart Grid System to Prevent Power Line Failures

A new Russian technology monitors power grid components in real time and reports potential failures to the cloud before they cause blackouts.

Researchers at South Ural State University have created a digital monitoring platform for high-voltage power lines. The system tracks the condition of surge arresters—critical safety devices—and sends alerts when they need replacement, reducing the risk of outages.

Associate Professor Denis Korobatov explained that sudden failure of these protective components is one of the most common causes of serious electrical faults. To address this issue, the team developed a proprietary Russian-made device: a digital pulse recorder that tracks lightning and switching surges.

The device operates in real time and transmits data to cloud services or directly to the customer’s server. This capability enables timely replacement of failing components and virtually eliminates blackout risks stemming from arrester failure.