UAV inspection at Ruakaka
Published 06 June 2017
Northpower has successfully been trialling the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology at our Ruakaka substation in Northland.
An innovative inspection solution
Aerial inspection technology offers the advantage of being able to view assets for potential damage or maintenance issues at much closer range than traditional ground-based inspection technology.
UAV inspections can also locate and identify maintenance issues in the early stages of deterioration.
This allows for advanced maintenance scheduling and budgetary planning. It’s a safe way to inspect equipment and see real-time data.
Ruakaka substation defect identification
As the images below show, heavy corrosion has formed under the top cap of the pin insulator on ABS51. As a result, the surface on the top shed of the insulator is contaminated.
This surface contamination will eventually lead to surface tracking as a result of the reduced creepage distance of the insulator.
The galvanic corrosion under the top cap may result in insulator damage as the corrosion progresses.
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Example of a defect found at Ruakaka substation using UAV technology.
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Example of a defect found at Ruakaka substation using UAV technology.
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Heavy corrosion has formed under the top cap of the pin insulator on ABS51. As a result of this corrosion, the surface on the top shed of the insulator is contaminated.
This surface contamination will eventually lead to surface tracking as a result of the reduced creepage distance of the insulator.
The galvanic corrosion under the top cap may result in insulator damage as the corrosion progresses.
