Airborne Inspections

Project background

Currently, helicopter based overhead electricity line inspections rely on the observer visually, either directly or through cameras, assessing the line and documenting their findings with any significant issues relayed back to the local maintenance team for rectification on return to base. 

The availability of much improved sensors together with image recognition and wider system integration (Asset records, GIS, GPS, etc.) means that there is now scope for a much more efficient inspection style over a greater length of network resulting in cost savings and improved network reliability. 

This project aimed to produce recommendations for a helicopter based system which could provide the data required to be able to perform automatic line condition assessments and defect reporting.

Scope and Objective(s)

Distribution Network Operators have statutory duties under the Electricity Safety Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 to maintain its system in a safe condition and to undertake an assessment of the risk of unauthorised access, interference or vandalism. Regular inspection and subsequent condition based maintenance also reduces customer interruptions. By improving the existing helicopter based inspection regime, cost savings in a number of areas can be achieved together with an improvement in network performance. 

This project has assessed the existing sensing capabilities and made recommendations for a helicopter based system which can provide the data required to be able to perform automatic line condition assessments and defect reporting.

Success Criteria

Details of the success and measurement criteria are tabled below.

• Method

  This project aimed to produce recommendations for a helicopter based system which could provide the data required to be able to perform automatic line condition assessments and defect reporting. 
  
  The project consisted of 2 Work Packages: 

  • Work Package 1 assessed and determined the nature and extent of the workload of the operators conducting visual inspections. 
  • Work Package 2 produced recommendations for the setup of a helicopter-mounted sensor. More specifically, it examined the suitability of different types of sensors to detect defects and assessed how the sensor data and asset information can be integrated and whether asset condition can be reported in real-time back to interested parties on the ground. 
• Performance against objective and success criteria

  Objective	Status	Performance
  Identify the optimum helicopter mounted sensing system which will enable long range data acquisition in the most operator friendly manner. The system should be able to present data in a format which can be integrated with other technologies and also used within analysis software.		The OFIL DayCor and the SWE Systems Quad-400 sensor have been identified as suitable sensor technologies.

  Success criterion	Status	Performance
  Production of a firm recommendation for the helicopter mounted sensor setup.		The BAE Systems Q-Sight helmet mounted display and the Cartenav mission management system hosted on a GETAC X500 ruggedised laptop have been recommended for the helicopter mounted setup.

• Planned implementation

  A further innovation project will be undertaken in the future which will have the following deliverables: 
   

  • The analysis of the data obtained from the flight trials to assess the performance of the sensor. 
  • Usage of the data obtained from the flight trials to examine the integration of existing asset information with the data. 
  • The development of automatic defect identification using the data collected from the flight trials. 
  • Demonstrations to show the integration of existing asset information with camera data and automatic defect identification.
• Documents and links

  Registration form
  
  Phase 1 Closedown Report - Superseded
  
  Closedown Report 

• Monthly updates

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