Energy
Companies that control the transmission and distribution of electricity and data play a decisive role in today's society. There are millions of kilometers of lines spread across Brazil, through which our information and electricity are transmitted. Therefore, drone inspections in transmission lines are essential for the sector. Currently, immense amounts of money are spent on the maintenance of this infinity of lines. Preventive inspection of transmission towers is highly expensive, dangerous (transmission line inspectors occupy ninth place in the terrible ranking of the most dangerous professions in the US), and time-consuming. The use of drones - or simply UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), added to powerful software/algorithms, facilitates, optimizes, and makes these inspections safer. And the best part: it is already a reality in the market. Want to know how drone inspections of transmission lines work? Read this article! READ ALSO: • Computer vision: learn everything from this complete guide!
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How is transmission line inspection done?
As a rule, inspections worldwide are carried out by groups of line inspectors who climb or are driven in trucks to the extremely high transmission towers. Conducting a detailed inspection takes several hours, due to the difficulty of moving around huge and potentially lethal structures. Other less common methods include tower inspection by ground inspectors using binoculars or from inside a helicopter, which must maneuver around the points under analysis. Helicopter operation is not only expensive, but also noisy and ecologically unsustainable. Furthermore, when line operators climb transmission towers to try to visually detect problems, take images, analyze them and subsequently proceed with repairing the lines, they put their lives at high risk. This occurs because, although all protective measures are always taken, the voltage and height of transmission towers are an imminent danger in any situation. Because of this, companies in the energy industry are increasingly looking for other, more sustainable, faster, more effective and safer alternatives for carrying out this type of task. This is where automated drone technology comes in. In the video below, see an explanation of why transmission lines must be inspected: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJxO29k_Wnw However, inspection with drones is more efficient. They can fly safely much closer to transmission towers, providing a clearer image of possible damage. Furthermore, the angles captured by the drones are not achieved through inspections carried out by helicopters. In this way, inspection with drones has the potential to reduce the costs and risks of inspections and, at the same time, increase the accuracy of the information. Currently there are pilot projects for network assessments, including one produced by the Pix Force team, in order to create standards for carrying out the activity. The partnership between professionals specialized in inspection, pilots trained for flights with a high degree of difficulty, and the use of advanced equipment and technology are decisive factors for the success of the projects. The technological part deserves its highlight. In addition to UAVs with great flight autonomy and exceptional maneuverability, cameras with a minimum of 16 megapixels are required – there are cases in which two cameras are necessary – or thermal cameras to determine points of electrical resistance that generate heat. Furthermore, a competent team in the offices needs to analyze the images in a precise and automated way.
Why is now the time to perform drone inspections?
Since the 1990s, drones have been tested in the difficult task of inspecting transmission lines. However, their costs and aircraft capacity at that time made their use unfeasible. With the evolution of aircraft (hardware) and the immense advances in automation applications and programs (software), the feasibility of their application is clearer, provided it is performed by companies and people with expertise. In the video below, we explain in a simple way why you should perform drone inspections: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJO4c-kav6E
Advantages of Using Drones
The advantages of implementing drone inspections in transmission lines are numerous. The drones used for this type of task are lightweight, easy to transport and operate, even in hard-to-reach areas. They are equipped with an automatic takeoff and landing system, which allows them to land precisely in a small ground space. These devices can do the same work performed by an employee, but in an optimized way, since smart drones have the capacity to analyze about 100,000 images in a few hours, performing fast inspections with high productivity. In addition, physical risks suffered by employees and costs also decrease. Automating inspections makes it possible to save 30% to 50% of inspection costs and time. This allows specialized operators to go straight to the problem and focus only on line maintenance. Some points have already been listed, but let's look at other advantages of drone inspection: • Drones can move over rugged terrain where it is difficult for ground workers to move. They can also send photos showing the condition of the power lines.
• Drones perform the work much faster and more efficiently.
• UAVs cannot inspect buried pipelines, for obvious reasons. However, they can obtain images of vegetation around pipelines that can signal problems – dead vegetation is often a sign of leaks.
• Reduce service costs, both for routine inspections and for assessing damage to energy networks after natural disasters.
• Improve the safety of workers directly involved in the inspection.
Image capture using drones
One of the most important advances in conducting inspections with drones is equipping the aircraft with three sensors to capture three types of images. On one hand, there is HD recording (High Resolution / RGB), and on the other, thermographic recording to detect hot spots. Enhanced cameras designed to detect other light frequencies can provide a more detailed view of other potential problems. A thermal infrared camera can show local heating due to an incipient failure in the insulator or cable splice. And finally, the infrared camera combined with a high-resolution RGB camera, by calculating the vegetation index, can monitor vegetation in right-of-way areas with potential interference to the network.
Data analysis of captured images
The analysis of the inspection process involves handling and working with large amounts of data and video recordings mapped by drones. Today, this is a manual procedure, requiring a slow and meticulous review of the images captured across the components. The analysis of images captured by drones replaces these expensive and time-consuming data interpretation processes, considerably reducing the risk of human error. In fact, intelligent drones can analyze around 100,000 images in a few hours. The device uses machine learning, a system that learns to recognize digital representations of data, such as photographs, videos, and temperature collection, allowing for the analysis of multiple data streams collected from the drones. Instead of employees sifting through unmanageable amounts of data, an end-to-end inspection solution recognizes individual objects, such as power grid insulators, linking thermography and fault identification to geographic coordinates. It is known what and where the repair needs to be made. The gain in efficiency is enormous. Data captured by drones can significantly improve and accelerate long-term asset management for transmission line improvement and replacement planning for parts that need to be changed. Furthermore, unlike when this process is carried out manually, transmission towers remain functional during the inspection, thereby eliminating the countless problems and inconveniences that temporary power cuts cause for the population of the specific areas where the condition of the lines is analyzed. Without a doubt, the huge benefits that this innovative technology brings can revolutionize the market and, likewise, improve the quality of the energy transmission service in Brazil and worldwide. The future of transmission line inspection is automated, integrated, and deeply data-rich. Learn more about our solutions. So, did this text help you understand the advantages of drone inspection in transmission lines? We have the right technology for your business. Get in touch with Pix Force!
Fabio Caraça
Fábio Caraça is the Chief Growth Officer at Pix Force. He leads Pix Force's transformation into a scalable SaaS operation, combining strategic vision, culture, and high-impact execution.
