RFID system on electrical substation equipment

Monitoring, controlling and identification processes of electrical equipment are logistical tasks that require to be automated. Some electrical substations use barcodes for identification. However, environmental factors make difficult to read this information. The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a better option to automate this process in electrical substations. However, RFID UHF systems present problems when they are implemented over metal surfaces. This paper presents experiments of testing RFID systems for an electrical indoor substation, to determine the scope of implementing RFID technology on electrical equipment. Experimental results revealed that RFID UHF passive systems may be used on metal surfaces and electrical equipment. Nonetheless, system performance decreases when RFID tags are located on metal surfaces and sometimes, the reader does not detect RFID tags, even when they are within the coverage area.