KANSAS CITY, Missouri (March 13, 2019) — Burns & McDonnell announces the deployment of the Fujitsu 1FINITY™ optical networking platform from Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc., to demonstrate 100-gigabit (100G) optical data transmission in the firm’s utility Integration and Automation Lab. The modular design of the 1FINITY platform allows utilities to use a pay-as-you-grow approach to build nodes as needed on their distribution systems.

The Burns & McDonnell Integration and Automation Lab, at firm’s world headquarters in Kansas City, serves as a technology testing and demonstration center available to utilities and other clients free of charge. Utilities can use this lab to develop use cases and projected returns on investments for new power grid technologies to be incorporated in a wide array of power delivery systems.

“Utilities are faced with an onslaught of data from sensors and other devices that are necessary to manage power delivery systems today,” says Matt Olson, director of the Network Integration and Automation Group at Burns & McDonnell. “This is requiring utilities to overhaul their core communications infrastructure. The equipment we have available in our lab will enable our clients to test different communications and other equipment under a variety of usage scenarios before they make large capital investment decisions.”

Today’s demand for a smarter and more resilient power grid requires a leap forward in planning, analysis and assessment of load flows, reliability, operational efficiency, standards compliance and total lifecycle costs. Data speeds up to 100G are quickly becoming the standard for a modern power grid that can accommodate two-way power flows, increases in electric vehicle charging, and data center interconnect.

The Fujitsu 1FINITY platform is modular with compact one rack unit (1RU) devices that provide optical or electrical switching and multiplexing, allowing growth from a regen facility with a single rack unit design up to a large facility offering hundreds of service ports.

The scalable 1FINITY platform is designed for use in metropolitan and regional power grids as well as long-length, high-voltage power lines and related equipment. The 100G transponder and switch equipment significantly expands network capacity, improves spectral efficiency, and lowers the cost-per-bit of optical transport networks. The Fujitsu platform is the latest addition to the lab, which also features 100G equipment from four other prominent vendors.

“We’re pleased to make our 1FINITY platform available to Burns & McDonnell clients and their engineers as they test configurations and demonstrate solutions,” says Christine Podraza, VP – Optical Solutions Delivery, Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. “As utilities consider the investments they need to make in their communications networks, these ultra-fast speeds will become the standard. If a utility is looking at 10G, I encourage them to evaluate 100G as a possible alternative. The economics are definitely worth considering.”

As part of an effort to assist the transmission-and-distribution industry in meeting today’s demands, Burns & McDonnell developed the Integration and Automation Lab for use by clients who need to assess equipment required by the upsurge in distributed generation resources, renewable energy sources, and new storage systems as they are integrated into the grid. In addition to offering diagnostics and testing, the facility includes an Asset Health Center dedicated to data collection, analytics and predictive modeling of utility assets.

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