Page 28 - Energize March 2022

NEWS

Drone eases boiler inspection available for any lighting conditions. A
cutting-edge wireless communications
at major power station system with a live video feedback means
that the drone can be brought into usually
inaccessible places up to many hundred
metres beyond the line of sight.
he benefits of using advanced drone technology for inspecting boiler internals at The Elios ground station comprises a
a power station were on full display when rope access specialist Skyriders Access remote controller, a tablet and a purpose-
TSpecialists recently undertook a project in the Nkangala district of Mpumalanga. designed ground-control application,
The Elios SkyEye drone clearly demonstrated not only how accurate and efficient this providing the pilot with live data and
technology is, but also highlighted its safety aspects, as there is no need to erect expensive an SD live video stream captured by the
and cumbersome scaffolding to gain access to carry out a manual inspection. drone. All the information and controls
“Our drone technology is specifically suited for visual inspection in indoor environments are on hand for efficient and safe remote
like the large coal-fired boilers and ducting at power stations. Traditional drones cannot use operation. In addition, the drone is dust-
GPS tracking and stability when indoors,” explains Skyriders Marketing Manager Mike Zinn. and splash-resistant and can operate in
Elios SkyEye, on the other hand, is collision-tolerant for flexible and highly accessible remote environments from 0°C to 50°C.
visual inspection. “Our boiler inspection work has a huge
The drone incorporates a full HD camera, a thermal camera, and an onboard LED lighting amount of experience behind it. There
system, with remotely adjustable intensity. This means that an array of onboard tools is are other companies that carry out boiler
maintenance, but they lack the seasoned
piloting capability of our drone team. Our
team is really brilliant in ensuring that the
deliverable is clean and stable footage,
affording them the necessary time as
well to carry out a thorough inspection,”
highlights Zinn.
“Our drone pilots are just so good at
what they do. That fantastic imagery we
have access to, and which we then use
as the basis of our inspection reports,
really sets us up for continued success
in this important sector.” Another key
differentiator for Skyriders is that it has
been issued with a Remote Operating
Certificate (ROC) from the South African
Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA). This
means it is certified to deploy its drones
outdoors within civil airspace, thereby
dramatically extending the scope of its
inspection services for clients.
Zinn is confident that the project at
this large coal-fired power station will
secure additional work for the Elios SkyEye
drones. The application of the latest
inspection technology is a fitting capstone
to Skyriders’ long involvement with various
power stations.

Contact Mike Zinn, Skyriders,
Phone 011 312 1418,
mike@ropeaccess.co.za,
www.ropeaccess.co.za
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
SkyridersIndustrialRopeAccess
Twitter: twitter.com/SkyridersZA

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