What We Do

• Developed a web-based fault location system using ESRI’s ArcGIS JS API to pinpoint the nearest structure to a fault

• Enabled real-time topology generation to eliminate manual network updates and improve fault trace accuracy

• Integrated with OpenXDA and Vaisala TXD-100 APIs to support automated fault analysis and weather event correlation

The Challenge

Utility companies often invest heavily in building asset inventories within GIS platforms. However, many systems lack complete network topology, making it difficult to determine fault locations based on calculated distances alone.

Without connectivity data, faults are identified only as a distance from a substation, with no clear indication of which structure is nearest. This limits a utility’s ability to quickly dispatch crews and correlate outages with potential causes such as lightning or weather events.

Lifescale Analytics’ Solution

Lifescale Analytics developed a web-based fault location system using ESRI’s ArcGIS JavaScript API. The solution dynamically calculates the distance from a substation to the nearest structure based on fault location data, even when network topology is incomplete or evolving.

​Key features include:

• Real-time topology generation to eliminate the need for manual updates as asset data changes

• API integration with OpenXDA for seamless use with existing fault location tools

• Vaisala TXD-100 API integration to correlate fault data with lightning activity and rule out weather-related causes

The tool was built as both a user-facing interface and a flexible API, enabling easy integration into broader utility systems.

Impact

With more precise fault location capabilities, utilities can:

• ​Dispatch crews faster and more accurately

• Reduce outage durations

• Improve root cause analysis

• Enable automation and predictive response across grid operations