Power Line Maintenance Inspection

Power Line Maintenance Inspection [PLMI]

The transmission and distribution companies of electricity - or maintenance companies acting under his guidance - execute different types of overhead power lines inspections to detect anomalies or malfunctions as soon as possible. A cost-effective inspection solution, integrated with real-time results is a high value-added tool to improve the technical quality of service in a scenario of limited budgets to power line maintenance.

Albatroz Engineering proposes an innovative solution inspection maintenance lines (Power Line Maintenance Inspection, PLMI) from helicopters that combines all types of inspection in a single pass. The results of all types of inspection are represented in a coordinated format allowing a broader understanding of the line condition and therefore the optimization of maintenance programs.

The Power Line Maintenance Inspection [PLMI] system empowers line inspectors to perform multiple inspections in one single flight over the power lines combining automated and human assessments including:

Thermographic fault detection with infra-red cameras
Automated track clearance with laser (or LiDAR)
Visual line inspection with video cameras
Insulator fault detection with ultra-violet camera

One airborne maintenance team equipped with a PLMI system can oversee more than 15,000 km/year of transmission and distribution grids at a minimal cost and free from third party calendar constraints.

In the year 2012, four PLMI systems were used to inspect more than 48,000km of overhead lines, after 35,000km in 2011.

PLMI system includes both "on Fly" real time interface and data processing for airborne inspections and "on Land" software for detailed analysis after the inspection.

Both softwares share data from geo-referenced databases which are, in turn, compatible with asset management database systems.

The integrated, real-time, cost-effective PLMI solution:

improves continuity of supply through reduction of outages
improves quality of wave through reduction of intermitent faults
reduces natural hazards, mainly wildfires, due to routine vegetation maintenance
saves penalties and and minimises lost revenue
optimises asset management through the allocation of maintenance resources to the lines with the highest risk reduction
saves operation costs through the integration of multiple inspections.

Albatroz Engineering goal is to empower its clients that work in the over-head power line inspection solution to

inspect all types of over-head lines, all the time!

Three modules are available:

This solution is intended to transmission and distribution lines from 10kV. The solution can be provided as a whole or individual, self contained parts with customised interfaces.

Albatroz Engineering integrates commercial components (Commercial-off-the-shelf - COTS) to improve reliability and certification and develops all levels of software in-house to meet individual needs and specifications of its clients. PLMI can be integrated with other sensor equipment currently in use by airborne maintemance teams.

Video inspection, thermography and corona effect and GPS

Visual inspection, using video cameras, of thermography, with resource of infrared cameras and corona effect with ultraviolet cameras, can detect physical defects and usury of the components of the lines and supports (=towers), is recorded in digital form, enabling efficient observation of the films, especially by allowing only viewing the relevant moments (like when its detected a defect).

This digital recording is still associated with the location calculated by GPS, allowing to know where each image was captured, or inversely, search for images captured in the vicinity of a given location.

These functions are offered by Digital Product Registration Air [ADRS].

Distance measurement and 3D models

The measuring distance to obstacles based upon LiDAR, GPS and video with automatic processing and real-time of anomalies is the main advantage of PLMI. With this, it becomes possible to obtain a measure of distance with accuracy of about 5 cm, of all objects to the lines, be they buildings, vegetation, other lines and even the ground, while technicians deal with other inspections.

This measurement is performed with a small LiDAR sensor with a range of 200 m to the ground, about 100 m to the transmission lines and 50 m to the distribution lines. Coupled with this sensor is a GPS receiver to find all the measurements and a video camera to support the technician of inspection for technical interpretation of the anomaly.

To the distance measurement during the flight - which allows instant communication of the urgent anomalies - is added the processing in the laboratory, that allows to know the location of the supports, to perform three- dimensional models of the lines, to calculate the catenary and to find the span with critical distances to obstacles, to estimate the density and risk of vegetation along the line and to develop applications with spatio-temporal analysis of the lines and the environment around them.

These functions are offered by the product Aerial LiDAR [ASLMS].

User interface

The working environment in an helicopter inspection is demanding and hampered for multiple variables.

The experience of Albatroz Engineering in the design of interfaces optimized for the tasks to be realized and adapted to operating conditions on the helicopter is provide considerable added value in the operation quality and resource efficiency.

This product is always translates into a significantly different unique solution for each customer, presenting some product samples of Interfaces with the User.

In case you need more information, please refer to...

the FAQ list,
the brochure,
an in-depth system analysis paper on PLMI.
Or just contact us.