With thousands of miles of powerlines crisscrossing countries, the need to keep ahead of maintenance or arising problems can be a significant headache for energy providers. However, powerline inspection camera solutions are now quickly coming into their own.
A typical aerial inspection camera for roads and powerlines can provide invaluable aerial imagery data that enables predictive maintenance for inspection missions. These solutions increase the speed and precision of data collection, and reduces ground teams’ costs and risky operations.
A powerline inspection camera is specially designed to enable extensive surface coverage at extremely high resolution. They provide accurate visualization of objects, as well as the surrounding areas.
These UAV cameras also enable millimeter-sized damage spotting detection and fast repair, with minimal effect to performance or the environment – making them the ultimate aerial inspection cameras for roads and powerlines.
Powerline inspection involves monitoring for findings that could have a significant and detrimental impact on the smooth running of the infrastructure. Issues include hot spots, anomalies, bird nests, and vegetation growing too close to the powerline.
Standard inventory checks are also conducted of aerial markers, balls, and – as one of the most critical parts – powerline insulators.
Facing miles and miles of transmission lines to capture and the need for fine detail images for inspection analysis, particular companies are increasingly being commissioned by energy companies to deploy powerline inspection camera technology to produce high-resolution photographs for quick project turnarounds.
In one such instance, high-resolution imagery was captured efficiently and safely from a helicopter when asked to conduct a 174-mile project in just two days.
The project consisted of high-resolution data acquisition through airborne image data using a medium format digital camera. The solution provided a portable airborne imaging system for the helicopter that can do everything they require from the camera, from inside the cabin
The cutting edge solutions were able to provide sharp, high-resolution imagery, bringing a unique solution and provide tangible data safely and efficiently. The imagery allowed the client to get valuable information on each structure, like broken insulators.
It also meant the imagery could be collected in a fraction of the time to similar projects utilizing traditional drone technology.
Transmission lines were recently constructed in the Midwest, and the electric utility wanted to get a baseline of the health of their assets to see if any early problems were emerging.
Camera solutions have proven to be great assets for transmission inspection projects, and the specially designed lenses allow for a safe and fast flight profile without sacrificing quality. The project saw a team capture 85 miles of transmission line imagery in a single day while taking four images per structure.
Another benefit is the ability to see fine details on the structures while flying 750 feet from the electrical transmission towers at approximately 60mph.
The efficiency of being able to document the state of an asset through a few images at an unprecedented speed is making this inspection method accessible to more electric utilities worldwide.
