Image processing as an integration tool between a dam safety system and Smart Grids

The Smart Grid resilience in power systems could be improved thanks to remote monitoring of civil structures existing at concrete and earth-filled dams, which indicates any atypical behavior of these structures. Among the various sensors and transducers used, the direct and inverted pendulums present an additional challenge. These instruments are widely used in hydroelectric reservoirs to monitor minor displacements in the concrete structures by the measurement of the pendulum´s degree of inclination according to the X and Y references set which will reflect the amount of displacement. In this paper, a system capable of performing automated readings of the pendulum wires inclination, through the image processing technique, is presented. A processing methodology combining the calculation of the x component, the gradient signal and the Hough transform was adopted for this purpose.