New Delhi: With an aim to offer better service resolution and provide faster maintenance of its distribution network to customers, power distribution company TPDDL is planning to employ drones in the national capital.
A pilot project was started between April and May this year, under which the company used nano drones in Ashok Vihar and Ranibagh to study the viability of drone application for surveillance of grids, sub-transmission lines network, and grid equipment.
The distribution company used nano drones with flying capacity below 200 feet with permission from police and local authorities.
“With the pilot project, we are exploring and developing applicability of drone technology in the power distribution sector. Usage of drones for maintenance will not only help us reduce the downtime, but will also give better insights for future projects,” said Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) chief executive officer Sanjay Banga.
The project will have wide application in the years to come and will help TPDDL serve its consumers better, Mr Banga said.
TPDDL has around 70 lakh consumers in north and northwest Delhi areas.
“The reliance on drones will provide faster, better and more accurate service resolution as well as enhance safety of personnel deployed for such daunting tasks,” he said.
Usage of drones helps in close up, detailed imagery of the installations scanning potential defects for the maintenance personnel.
Drones can also capture tower and pole images from various angles giving a fuller picture, which is often not possible with other inspection methods.
The process will enhance the capturing of more credible data which can in turn help in making better decisions while minimising the downtime during maintenance and any
contingencies, the discom official said.
The pilot projects covered monitoring of conductor sag, vegetation management, pole top inspection, solar panel inspection, infrared inspection for hot spots, monitoring of circuit, identification of abnormalities such as bird nests, bee hives or defects with equipment, he added.
It also attempted right of way management to determine if anyone is encroaching on lines along with thermal inspection at grids.
