Wiener Netze GmbH supplies over two million people with energy. Precise surveying is essential to fulfill this demanding task. With the help of the ppm10xx zero GNSS sensor and the ppm Commander software, the work of the twenty-strong surveying team is not only made easier, but also carried out with the accuracy of a classic surveying system.
29,600 kilometers, from Vienna to Sydney in Australia and back again – that’s the size of the grid that Wiener Netze GmbH operates to supply energy. Planning, expansion, operation and maintenance are entirely the responsibility of the company. The surveying team is on duty every day in Vienna and parts of Lower Austria and Burgenland to carry out precise surveys for a wide range of requirements.
ppm10xx zero: Handy and precise
The team led by Dr. Gottfried Thaler, Deputy Head of the Surveying Department, uses the ppm10xx zero for the measurements. This GNSS sensor enables precise positioning even if the measuring rod is inclined by up to 60°. The integrated IMU reliably compensates for the inclination, which makes things easier, especially during pipeline construction: the measuring rod can be held in open trenches without employees having to climb in. Even in hard-to-reach places, such as directly on the wall of a house, where a conventional surveying system would not be able to reach directly due to the antenna, accurate measurements are still possible with the ppm10xx GNSS.
The ppm10xx zero is able to receive data from several navigation satellite systems such as GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS and BEIDOU. This means that sufficient signals are always available. The recorded data is transferred to the IGLIS surveying software in real time so that all employees can access it. The PPM Commander software, which acts as a link between the receiver and any user software, ensures transmission without media discontinuity.
Flexible to use
The ppm10xx zero surveying system is used by Wiener Netze GmbH for a variety of purposes. The advantage is particularly evident when laying new cables: in Vienna’s dense urban area, new lines often have to be laid in close proximity to existing buildings and private property. Precision is crucial here, for example to avoid accidentally encroaching on other people’s property.
Another area of application is faults in the power grid – often caused by defective cable joints. Here, the ppm10xx zero helps to measure and document the exact position of the joint during installation. As soon as the technicians arrive, they have already marked the correct location on their tablet and know immediately where to start without wasting time searching. This procedure also helps to avoid disruptions in city traffic.
The laser scanner team also benefits from using the ppm10xx zero. The employees use a laser scanner to measure shafts and buildings in order to generate 3D point clouds. The ppm10xx zero enables the geo-referencing of this data and its integration into the surveying software. This ensures that digital models correspond to their location in the real world.
Quick configuration
To ensure that the ppm10xx zero is ready for immediate use, it is configured in advance in the office. “I can preconfigure all the important settings before the system is put into operation. As soon as the employees arrive at their place of work, all they have to do is start the tablet, connect the 10xx zero and establish the connection to the correction data service in ppm Commander. Then they can start taking measurements,” says Dr. Thaler.
The connection between the sensor and the recording device is established via an internal, low-power Bluetooth Low Energy module. This wireless connection enables interference-free operation. In addition, all heavy components have been relocated to the inside of the measuring rod to avoid top-heaviness, which is a major hindrance with conventional measuring systems.
High accuracy
Despite its ease of use, the system does not compromise on accuracy. “To check the accuracy, a colleague and I measured different points together in parallel, he with a classic system and I with the ppm10xx zero. Thanks to the tilt compensation of the ppm10xx zero, simultaneous measurement at the same point is no problem and the measurement results were practically identical,” says Dr. Thaler.
Conclusion
The use of the ppm10xx zero at Wiener Netze GmbH shows that innovative GNSS technology can achieve the precision of classic surveying systems – with significantly increased efficiency and flexibility. The ppm10xx zero offers considerable advantages, particularly in the complex surveying of supply networks in urban areas.
Image rights: Wiener Netze GmbH