Mastering the energy transition means saying goodbye to energy generation from fossil fuels and switching entirely to electricity from renewable energy sources. What sounds so simple in theory poses several challenges in practice for transmission system operators, such as 50Hertz: the transmission system must be further expanded in the coming years. On the one hand, to prevent electricity from wind and solar energy from exceeding grid capacities. On the other hand, to guarantee the transport of electricity over long distances to the main points of consumption. At the same time, one must not neglect the increasing need to maintain and repair existing infrastructure. But how can the growing effort for grid inspections be met as efficiently and future-oriented as possible?

One possibility for this is digitizing processes for mast and line inspections using drones. The use of drones enables defects to be detected early and is much more resource-saving than conventional methods. Drones can generate high-quality data material within a short time. In this way, the inspection capacity can be significantly increased. While climbers need around 30 minutes to inspect overhead lines and power poles, drones can generate the desired data within nine minutes. Finally, the image data obtained is suitable for automated evaluation, for example, using artificial intelligence, so that one can reliably detect even the slightest damage.

Calculated by FlyNex

FlyNex supports digitizing processes to use drones in regular operations for inspections. Using the FlyNex All-in-One platform, the complete workflow of the industrial use of drones can be mapped: from the planning to the aerial survey to the subsequent analysis. The integrated mission planner Drone Harmony helps to plan complex flight patterns, which are necessary, for example, for the complete recording of high-voltage pylons. Intricate flight patterns allow data to be collected consistently at high quality and repeated as required. The data generated can be used, among other things, to create orthophotos, identify damage using AI and digitally measure crop damage. The insights gained from this can easily be shared with the entire team.

Do you have any questions about network inspection by drone, or would you like individual advice on your industrial application?

Feel free to contact us; we look forward to the exchange.

We wish you safe flights.

Your FlyNex team