In today’s industrial landscape, the quest for methods to ensure the structural integrity of assets while safeguarding workers’ safety is relentless. In this context, the use of drones equipped with ultrasonic testing (UT) technology emerges as an innovative solution, providing precise measurements in hard-to-reach areas and minimizing operational risks.
What is a UT Drone?
A UT drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed to measure thickness using ultrasonic waves. This technology allows data collection in locations difficult for human inspectors to access, such as chimneys, storage tanks, and industrial pipelines. By integrating ultrasonic testing equipment into drones, critical information about the integrity of structures can be obtained without invasive or risky interventions.
How UT Drones Work
The operation of a UT drone involves flying it to the measurement point, where an ultrasonic probe is positioned against the surface to be tested. The probe emits sound waves that penetrate the material, and the return time of these waves is used to determine the structure’s thickness. To ensure measurement accuracy, a coupling agent is essential to facilitate sound wave transmission between the probe and the material.
Drones like the Elios 3, developed by Flyability, are equipped with systems that allow gain and gate adjustments during measurement, ensuring reliable results even in challenging conditions.
Advantages of Using UT Drones
Enhanced Safety
The deployment of UT drones for industrial inspections significantly reduces workers’ exposure to hazardous environments, such as confined spaces or high-altitude areas. Traditionally, these inspections required scaffolding, rope access, or elevated platforms, increasing the risk of accidents. With drones, restricted locations can be accessed without direct human intervention, mitigating risks associated with toxic gases, asphyxiation, and falls.
Operational Efficiency
UT drones enable inspections to be conducted more quickly and with less disruption to industrial operations. Mobilizing traditional equipment, such as scaffolding, can take days, whereas drones can be deployed in minutes. Additionally, the capability to record georeferenced measurements facilitates continuous and accurate monitoring of asset integrity.
Access to Hard-to-Reach Areas
Equipped with advanced technologies like LiDAR sensors, UT drones can map and inspect complex environments, generating real-time 3D models. This allows for the identification of structural flaws in locations previously inaccessible or unsafe for human inspectors, ensuring comprehensive inspection coverage.
Case Studies: Practical Applications of UT Drones
Oil Tank Inspection on Ships
During a periodic inspection of oil cargo tanks on a medium-sized ship, the use of the Elios 3 UT drone enabled all necessary measurements without scaffolding or large teams. This approach resulted in significant time and resource savings while enhancing worker safety.
Chimney Inspection in Power Plants
A power plant in northern Canada faced challenges inspecting a chimney due to external insulation and adverse weather conditions. The use of the Elios 3 UT drone allowed precise measurements to be collected without removing insulation or erecting scaffolding, demonstrating the drones’ effectiveness in extreme conditions.
Measurements in Combustion Ducts and Silos
At a cement plant in Germany, the Elios 3 UT drone was employed to inspect combustion ducts and silos without halting operations or requiring additional structures. The technology enabled access to areas that would typically go uninspected due to reach difficulties, ensuring asset integrity and operational continuity.
Industries Benefiting from UT Drones
UT drones have wide applications in industries such as oil and gas, power generation, maritime transport, construction, and manufacturing, where precise and safe inspections are critical to ensuring asset integrity.
The incorporation of drones equipped with ultrasonic testing technology into industrial inspections marks a significant advancement in safety, efficiency, and precision. By enabling access to hard-to-reach areas and reducing workers’ exposure to hazardous environments, UT drones set a new standard for the maintenance and monitoring of industrial assets.
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