Power Line Maintenance Inspection

Human driven real time inspections offer the best insight into overhead installations. However, the number of simultaneous inspections and on-board personnel is limited by operational constraints.

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 15000 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 in excess of 48000km of over-head lines, after 35000km 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.

Example of "on Fly" interface inside the inspection helicopter

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

Three modules are available:

• Airborne Digital Recording System
• Track Clearance or Right of Way with the Airborne LiDAR System
• User Interface

The solution can be provided as a whole or individual, self contained parts with customised interfaces.

Albatroz Engineering integrates commercial off shelf (COTS) components 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.

Example of the "on Land" interface

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

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

Helicopter photos are courtesy of HeliPortugal

Know all your lines, all the time!