Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
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Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) better known as drones, have proved their value in many industrial applications and are now bringing multiple benefi ts to the water sector. Here, we look at some of the applications that are becoming more popular The Knowledge: drones and innovation www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | JANUARY 2018 | 23 Eye in the Sky: The power of drones for the water sector What are the applications of UAV technology – and the benefi ts? Most people immediately think of close visual inspection (CVI) when they think of drone technology. CVI generates thousands of images and high-de nition video of a particular asset, providing data to inform engineering decisions in a frac- tion of the time that it would take a large rope access team. The detail picked up by onboard cameras is minute: even the smallest hairline cracks and defects on an asset are made crystal-clear. The level of detail coupled with the ability to review, slow down, and replay footage means that highly detailed inspections can be carried out to identify problem areas, common di• culties, or regular mainte- nance requirements. It also means that repairs can be precisely planned, based on the level of detail acquired; once again this brings further savings in the form of vastly improved planning. However, the technol- ogy goes way beyond CVI to include a spectrum of di€ erent but comple- mentary applications that include, among others, U AV technology for inspection services and aerial survey work has made dramatic advances over recent years, and the pace of progress remains unrelenting. Across a range of industries – from oil & gas to food pro- cessing and water - the technology has been transformational in terms of moni- toring and maintenance regimes, adding greater commercial value and engineer- ing accuracy and proving itself against so many long-established ways of working. In the oil & gas and processing industry sectors, UAV technology allows assets to be inspected while they are live – unlike traditional methods of inspection, which involve rope access or sca€ olding. The accessibility and capability of the mission-critical data gathered for asset integrity inspections has been a 'game changer'. It is not just the savings in terms of time- and cost-e• ciency that are decisive, but the numerous operational bene ts that include improved monitoring and planning and the removal of risks to person- nel. The versatility of the technology means that it delivers equally impressive operational and commercial ben- e ts to a range of sectors – not least the water industry. DAVID WILLIAMS, PRINCIPAL COMPLIANCE OFFICER, TEXO DRONE SURVEY AND INSPECTION LTD smallest hairline cracks and defects on an asset are made crystal-clear. The level of detail coupled with the ability to review, slow down, and replay footage means that highly detailed inspections can be carried out to identify problem areas, common di• culties, or regular mainte- nance requirements. It also means that repairs can be precisely planned, based on the level of detail acquired; once again this brings further savings in the form of vastly improved planning. However, the technol- ogy goes way beyond CVI to include a spectrum of di€ erent but comple- mentary applications that include, among others, the mission-critical data gathered for asset integrity inspections has been a 'game changer'. It is not just the savings in terms of time- and cost-e• ciency that are decisive, but the numerous operational bene ts that include improved monitoring and planning and the removal of risks to person- nel. The versatility of the technology means equally impressive operational and commercial ben-