Challenges

Our electric utility customer identified several obstacles impeding their goal of more secure substations and enhanced operations efficiency.

• Lack of current visual asset and condition data
• Collection of infrared data requires the use of handheld devices
• Spontaneous manual inspection by different groups affects productivity, incurs repetitive travel and labor costs and is a burden on resources

ULC proposed an in-depth aerial inspection and analysis of their substation and was able to identify several areas in which UAV are able to deliver significant improvements over traditional inspection methods.

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By performing inspections using UAVs, 3-5 substations could be surveyed in just 1 day, far outperforming the current rate of 1 substation in 1 to 2 days using conventional inspection methods.

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Inspection and Results

Using first-class, high-resolution and thermal imaging cameras mounted on a US-built multirotor UAV, ULC completed the entire substation inspection in approximately 2 hours (including set-up) and provided:

• Detailed visual data to help meet inspection requirements and identify issues with substation condition, vegetation growth, and security breaches.
• High resolution visual and thermal imagery of the substation, providing current information not available from Google Earth view or any out-of-date survey data.
• A full set of geotagged visual images.

By utilizing the powerful technology employed by UAVs, ULC Robotics can promote a more efficient use of utility resources, enhance electric system reliability and security, and improve the safety of employees.