State Grid Zhenjiang Power Supply Company integrates drones for inspections

For State Grid Zhenjiang Power Supply Company, the use of drones to monitor equipment has enabled it to increase efficiency and save costs.

On the morning of Aug 13, staff members from the company received an alert indicating a fault on the 10 kilovolt Yongbei Line. Operations and inspection personnel immediately rushed to the scene to investigate but found no anomalies.

They then decided to conduct a high-altitude recheck using a drone, which revealed that a metal cross-arm used to support the overhead line on a tower had fractured. Upon analysis, this defect was identified as the main cause of the trip.

An hour later, the staff members had completed the replacement of the faulty equipment through live-line work. Since the beginning of this year, the company has been increasing the application of drones in distribution network lines, striving to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power grid.

Since the start of this summer, continuous high temperatures have led to a rise in power grid load, increasing the risk of equipment hazards. The company’s integration of drone technology into the distribution line inspection system has significantly enhanced the management quality of grid equipment during the peak summer period.

"In the past, the application scenarios for drones in various power grid operations were more inclined towards transmission lines," said Fan Junyao, a manager at the company.

"In recent years, as the automation level of distribution lines has continuously improved, the application scenarios have also expanded to the distribution side."

Compared to traditional manual pole climbing or ground patrols, drone inspections offer advantages such as a wide aerial perspective, high imaging precision, fast operation and freedom from terrain restrictions. They can quickly detect potential defects like equipment overheating, insulator damage, hardware corrosion and vegetation obstructions that are difficult for humans to perceive, especially in complex environments with dense water networks and interwoven field ridges.

"Drones are like giving us 'clairvoyance' and 'X-ray vision'," added Fan.

"In the past, finding hidden fault points took a long time, especially in high temperatures or complex terrains. Now, with refined drone inspections, efficiency has increased 15 times compared to traditional manual inspections, and the accuracy of hazard identification has jumped to 92 percent, making many defects that are difficult to find with manual inspections no longer able to hide."