AUTOMATED HATCH FOR THE UNDERGROUND DISTRIBUTION GRID WITH ACCESS CONTROL

Underground vaults and manholes are critical installations of the underground energy distribution structure, characterized as spaces confined by regulatory standards. Those structures are located under public streets, a fact that represents a high risk of intrusion, generating interruptions in the supply of energy, in addition to potentially fatal accidents. This article describes a system designed to improve security and access control to these underground structures. Automated hatches have been developed to ensure that the access to the underground vaults and manholes of the electricity distribution grid is carried out only by teams previously authorized to perform activities within the facility. The study is part of an innovation project by ENEL Distribution São Paulo, called Urban Futurability. This project is located in an area with several types of grids, from underground grids with high load density to overhead grids of medium load density. The application of the solution proposed in this article will be carried out in the region of the project that will change in the distribution grid: the overhead grid will become an underground grid, being used in the new underground vaults and manholes that will be built in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.