DTEK Kyiv regional power grids tested SHERP all-terrain vehicles and industrial unmanned platforms from DroneUA to inspect high-voltage lines in the Kyiv region in hard-to-reach areas.
DTEK Kyiv Regional Power Grids serves 46 thousand km of power grid in the Kyiv region, they provide more than 5.5 million customers. All infrastructure requires regular inspection and maintenance to prevent possible emergency shutdowns. Some of the company's power lines run in difficult-to-reach places — through river crossings and wetlands. As a rule, to check the serviceability of the line in such places, power engineers have to use boats or carry out inspections only in winter.
As part of the pilot project, DTEK specialists had to reach and collect data on the technical condition of 2 km of power lines located in a hard-to-reach swampy area of the Boryspil region. Thanks to an integrated approach in combination of drones and all-terrain vehicles, power engineers not only reached hard-to-reach areas and quickly collected data on the condition of the lines, but were also able to carry out preventive repairs of emergency areas.
During the test inspection, the repair crew moved on an all-terrain vehicle between the spans of supports in the swampy area and determined the condition of the electrical network. At the same time, an industrial drone of the Matrice 300 RTK series inspected the line and immediately, using a thermal imager, helped identify overheating and problem areas that could trigger an emergency shutdown. Using a combination of the capabilities of Sherpa all-terrain vehicles and geodetic unmanned equipment, operators were able to digitize areas of the network that were previously difficult to access.
As a result of a test inspection, DTEK specialists received all the necessary data on the technical condition of a 2 km high-voltage line in 1.5 hours. With an ordinary traditional inspection, it would be necessary to wait for the pond to freeze and for proper weather conditions, not to mention the fact that the inspection would take more than 12 hours.
«DTEK Kyiv Regional Electric Grids is studying the best global experience to make the networks modern and reliable. In 2020, with partners SHERP and DroneUA, we are testing amphibious all-terrain vehicles for network repair in difficult conditions. During the pilot project, we saw that the car can easily travel where other special vehicles cannot move. It is critical to our work to reach the lines quickly at the time of an emergency, especially in difficult to reach areas or during the winter season when roads become impassable after heavy snowfall. In such conditions, conventional equipment cannot cope, and we need to quickly return the light to our customers, — says Vitaly Shaida, General Director of DTEK Kyiv Regional Electric Grids.
«Collaboration — this is the key to the most daring projects and the most successful implementations. Working together, uniting around one common idea or task, the result is really cool. Industrial unmanned platforms such as the Matrice 300 RTK are designed specifically for complex inspections.” — Valery Yakovenko, CEO of DroneUA — “We are changing the future, and it’s not just about Ukraine!”
«Innovation — This is not just technology, it is, first of all, culture. How effectively a company can transform depends on people and their openness to change. For this pilot project, we went beyond the usual boundaries and applied a symbiosis of technologies. The result met our expectations, so we will continue to develop cooperation with SHERP and DroneUA within DTEK », — noted DTEK Innovation Director Emanuele Volpe.
