Impact on the environment
Besides the environmental effects defined in the strict sense - pollution and contamination, efficient use of materials and energy - Albatroz Engineering analyzes its activity as part of a complex ecosystem that surrounds the physical environment, flora, fauna and people.
Fundamentals
All economic activity should be shaped so as to balance the needs and desires of customers, employees and investors.
But beyond the direct economic impact on the people who interact with the company, it must consider the impact on the environment, it is possible to affect ecosystems that have no direct relationship with the company. Internalize this impact on the analysis and design solutions is a cornerstone of the Albatroz Engineering sustainability policy.
Application
An example of this approach lies in the way it was meant to inspection airlines. The problem is reduced to the question:
How best to inspect overhead power lines?
Solution 0 is to do nothing, i.e. do not inspect the aerial power lines and search for the fault locations only after they have occurred.
This is an unacceptable solution for both economic and environmental protection reasons.
Systematic preventive maintenance inspections are performed in order to eliminate the reactive nature of Solution 0.
| Solution 0 | |
|---|---|
| Environment | Economy |
| avoid undesirable interactions | elimination of inspection costs |
| broader repair interventions | degradation of quality of service with reputation losses |
| decrease in customer satisfaction | fines and settlement compensation |
| risk of forest fires | equipment deterioration subjected to destructive transitional operating conditions |
Solution 1 is to inspect the lines on foot, relying on 1 or more technicians to transport the detection equipment.
This solution implies a substantial investment in human resources in order to effectively inspect every kilometre of electrical power lines using numerous inspection with limited inspection ranges.
On the other hand, the human scale of the inspections has a minimal effect on the ecosystem
These types of inspections are treacherous. Inspectors must be in good physical condition for there is risk of bodily harm when crossing forests, marshes and other natural obstacles. Some obstacles may pose too great a risk and different, most times longer routes must be taken.
Under specific conditions, this is most effective method of inspection and is still used today.
| Solution 1 | |
|---|---|
| Environment | Economy |
| minimal environmental impact | detection of most anomalies |
| community involvement in the process | possible integration with maintenance |
| difficult to work in natural inhospitable, protected zones | inability to detect all types of defects and faults from the ground |
| high risk of accidents and incidents | requires high number of technicians |
| risk of exhaustion and low motivation amongst the inspection crews. | impossible to complete in regions restricted access or large natural obstacles |
Solution 2 consists of inspecting power lines using an all terrain vehicle (ATV).
Solution 2 is the preferred solution in various countries around the world due to the small size of the electrical grid, inexperience with power line inspection or lack of funds to execute a large scale, extensive that can be depreciated over time.
A vehicle increases comfort during inspection and increases the range of each inspection. However there is a detrimental factor to the environment in the gas emissions from internal combustion engines.
| Solution 2 | |
|---|---|
| Environment | Economy |
| greater comfort | detection of most anomalies |
| reduction of risks to inspection crews | faster inspections |
| less intrusive to local fauna | small capital investment |
| adverse effects on physical environment | defects undetectable from ground go unnoticed and unrecorded |
| some pollution in the form of greenhouse emissions | significant cost per kilometre inspected |
The final solution considered, Solution 3, consists in performing inspections using airborne technologies.
Despite the elevated costs associated with performing airborne inspections, the speed and mobility inherent in airborne vehicles increase productivity dramatically. Conservatively, the extension of line inspected through aerial means compared to terrestrial means is increased by a minimum factor of 5 in the same time period.
Aerial inspections enhance detection capabilities which can result in higher service quality.
Aerial inspections call for specialized inspection equipment and procedures. Consequently, different types of inspections by several technicians have to be performed over several flights. This situation results in greater inspection costs and compatibility issues with different types of data and data storage.
Ecosystem impact consists of pollution from fossil fuel combustion and severe local noise pollution. However, these effects are quickly dissipated without permanently damaging the ecosystem. Clearly, long term effects on the global ecosystem due to gaseous combustion engine emissions has drawn significant attention and sparked a worldwide debate.
Upon analysis of the tables above, Albatroz Engineering and its associated partners have come to the conclusion that from an economic and environmental point of view, Solution 3 is the most appropriate solution in extensive electrical grids.
Solution 3 is the most competitive solution for electrical grids with an area greater than 2000 km as long as flight logistics do not inhibit the efficient use of an aircraft over such an area. In locations where aerial inspections are not possible (e.g. vicinity of airports) it is always possible to perform ground inspections as outlined in Solutions 0-2.
In order to maximize benefits and overcome the challenges of airborne inspections, an innovative solution was designed and proposed with the key characteristics: integration, consistency, real time, flexibility.
Furthermore, the proposed solution accelerates report generation turnaround and enriches the report contents with multimedia components.
Finally, there is one more challenge to overcome: how to increase the required inspection distance from the power line in order to reduce flight risks.
| Solution 3 | |
|---|---|
| Environment | Economy |
| allows environmental inspections | detection of most anomalies made possible |
| eliminates risks associated with entering sensitive, protected natural areas | higher speed and productivity; competitive cost per kilometre inspected. |
| does not interfere with human activity | reduces the number of needed technicians compared to ATV crews. |
| pollution | significant initial investment |
| general flight risks | requires dedicated organizations with specialized equipment |
Improvements
- aeronautical risks and restrictions,
- pollution,
- flight costs
- restricted airspaces and inaccessible locations,
- integration of several different types of inspection data,
- report generation turnaround
Environment advantages of PLMI
- Multiple inspection integration
- Increases inspected area with constant flight and pollution costs.
- Consistency and completeness
- Integration of several different types of inspections permits a better description of the power line status.
- Adaptability to both ground and aerial vehicles.
- Possibility of inspecting every kilometer of line regardless of location.
- Real time
- The real time feature is fundamental in alerting maintenance crews of critical faults along the line.