Drone, robot take powerline de-icing efficiency to new level in China

Drones and de-icing robots have elevated the efficiency of clearing ice from power lines to a new level in east China's Anhui Province.

Deep in the Dabie Mountains of Anhui, four significant power transmission corridors are located. Their stable operation is vital for ensuring the electricity security of the entire Yangtze River Delta area.

A cold wave hit the Dabie Mountains area before this year's Chinese New Year. To ensure smooth electricity supply during the holiday, more than 20 inspection teams assembled immediately and set out for power inspection.

Despite being only about 600 meters above sea level, the combination of rain, snow, humidity and low temperatures in the deep mountains can easily lead to ice accumulation on the power lines.

The challenging terrain made it impossible for vehicles to navigate. The inspection workers had to carry their equipment, carefully advancing along the slippery mountain paths. Eventually, they reached a high-voltage tower. Standing over 60 meters tall, the tower nearly disappeared into the swirling mist.

A staff member skillfully operated a drone to begin their inspection of the tower. In less than five minutes, the drone captured over 20 close-up photos of the tower, demonstrating remarkable efficiency despite the low visibility conditions.

"What do we do if the fog is too thick and we can't see the tower? In such cases, we rely on our autonomous inspection method, allowing the drone to fly close to the tower on its own. This approach enables us to clearly capture images of many components, such as checking for ice or snow accumulation on the tower," said Lei Jiajie, a staff member from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Inspection Center, State Grid Anhui Electric Power Co., Ltd.

"The photos are then instantly transmitted back to our system, where the large model can annotate each image and identify any potential defects on the tower," Lei added.

Airlifted by drone, a de-icing robot can clear ice from power lines efficiently while crews operate safely from the ground, keeping maintenance personnel safe in icy weather. By using the robot, the entire 20-meter-long wire, covered in ice, was completely cleared in about one minute.

In the evening, the staff returned to the lab with over 400 photos captured by the drone. Within just five minutes, all potential line hazards were identified by artificial intelligence.

Read more: Drones vs. ice: high-tech de-icing