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40 | OCTOBER 2020 | UTILITY WEEK Operational Excellence Analysis The technology is advancing at pace, Barrett says. The features of newer models include a fixed cage, movable camera, strobe lighting and even a thermal camera that gives a better picture of asset health than ever before. "We are currently exploring if we can use the images and data captured by our drones, such as topographical data, to form part of our digital twinning work, and working with our technical partners to help identify assets to aid our planning and maintenance pro- gramme," Barrett says. "We are always look- ing at new ways we can apply technology to help solve problems or make things more efficient." Saving time, money and water Severn Trent has a drone enthusiast turned pro on its staff. Duncan Turner became the drone team leader when the company began routinely using the technology in 2017. In the first year alone, the company saved £750,000 on scaffolding and costs associated with asset inspections. Turner says one benefit is the speed of inspections by drones compared with scaf- folding an asset for a manual inspection. However, he explains that the company's vision for drone usage is centred on safety. "Anywhere we can take the risk out of a job by using a drone – that is the vision of how we can roll out their use. Where we have people walking around sites that may encounter risk, we could look at using drones for inspections. An automated flight across an area can collect data in a safer manner." The technology these aircra are equipped with include thermal sensors that can detect changes in temperature where water is being lost, to identify and assess leaks, as well as scanners that can map the topography of assets in the dark. Current projects One project Turner and his team are working on is part of the 2030 net zero commitment. Drones that detect and measure methane are being trialled to monitor the carbon released from Severn's sites. "We're working on sensors and technolo- gies to enhance what the drones can offer and monitor. The sensors detect carbon and methane and create a heat map that we will use to monitor the methane released from a site. This builds up the intelligence piece on a site and other teams are installing technol- ogy to cut methane emissions, so using the drones to monitor that means we can see the visual reduction and understand total emissions." The company has also partnered with Cranfield University to explore what totally autonomous drone flights could mean for the business. Each Severn site could, poten- tially, have its own drone in a box that could be programmed remotely to fly out, conduct its mission and return to its box ready for the next job. At the moment, the technology isn't quite there and the BVLOS rules means this is not legal, but Turner believes the pace of change means it won't be long before we see a regu- lation change – with strict controls until the technology is proven. "It's incredible how the technology has moved forwards even in recent years. The first drone I flew, I soldered it together myself and now all drones have dual batteries and dual systems. They're incredibly safe to fly, but if there was a problem the second- ary system can take over. There are strict safety procedures, but if they were to fail the drone knows where it took off from and can manoeuvre safely back and land itself." Visualising the future Being able to operate multiple drones from multiple sites simultaneously could really open up the potential uses. Turner says uti- lising BVLOS would increase the efficiencies of how drones are used. "Some of our sites are several miles long and at the moment we can only fly 500m from the pilot, but being able to fly a couple of kilometres and capture the data within that area more quickly will bring huge efficiencies." The sky's the limit for drones Utilities are already deploying drones to tackle a number of tasks that are otherwise expensive and risky – and once the rules are relaxed they will be able to do much more. Ruth Williams reports. I f you can imagine it, a drone can do it," says one commercial supplier, lauding the technology's myriad uses. For those with an active imagination, the sky is the limit, although current rules set that limit as 500 metres from the operator and always within their line of sight. These remotely controlled camera- equipped miniature aircra have rapidly transformed from niy toy to professional tool, bringing faster, cheaper and safer asset inspections. Utilities say the technology will really take off once the regulations laid down by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are relaxed to allow drones to be operated beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). Socially distanced drones In recent months Essex & Suffolk Water, part of Northumbrian Water Group, has been ramping-up drone use as part of its adapta- tion to the challenges of coronavirus and social distancing rules that make manual asset inspections an impossibility. "The drones that are available on the commercial market are fantastic and offer lots of potential for the water industry," enthuses Greg Barrett, project engineer. "They offer so much versatility and provide lots of advantages over traditional surveying techniques." The company currently utilises three types of aircra, including one used by the conservation team to observe flora and fauna and monitor riverbank erosion and environ- mental changes that affect how and where water is abstracted. Maintenance drones survey buildings as well as conducting con- ditional assessments of dams, reservoirs and water towers. The most recent addition, according to Barrett, is changing how reservoir inspec- tions are done. He says the Elios 2 enhanced safety inspections have solved social dis- tance challenges in confined spaces: "This drone has enabled us to access restricted areas without putting our people at risk of not being able to follow the government guidance." "