The rotorcraft UAVs developed by SIA is conducting damage detection over power transmission lines. (Image/SIA)

In late June, the rotorcraft UAVs (unmanned aircraft vehicles) developed by Shenyang Institute of Automation (SIA), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was applied to conducting the autonomous power line inspection tasks for Liaoning Electronic Power Company Limited, State Grid. During the operation, the rotorcraft UAVs successfully detected damages to elements after several towers being struck by lightning or discharged. The function of powerline inspection of the rotorcraft UAVs was verified through the operation, laying a solid foundation for its promotion in the future.

The operation was performed in Beitai County in the city of Benxi, Wafangdian City, and Dashiqiao District in the city of Yingkou, all in Liaoning Province. The rotorcraft UAVs is confronted with complicated working conditions: extensive inspection area, long transmission line, the height gap between different towers and working live. Moreover, the transmission lines were mostly located in mountainous areas and hills, close to villages and driveways. In view of these issues, the project team came up with a new operation plan of combining autonomous flying with teleoperating, and accomplished the autonomous inspection of multi-stage towers over 220Kv

The rotorcraft UAVs powerline autonomous inspection and erection system was jointly developed by SIA, Liaoning Electronic Power Company Limited and Jiangsu Power Transmission and Transformation Corporation. So far, the project team has successfully conducted regular powerline inspection and erection, powerline erection in special and complex environment such as across the Yangtze River, and emergency inspection after disasters, etc.  (Dai Tianjiao)