Maintenance inspections of the wind farms, photovoltaic systems, district heating pipes and industrial chimneys operated by municipal utility provider Wien Energie all follow a similar procedure, with drones collecting images of the installations using RGB and thermographic cameras. Trained personnel track the inspections live to analyse the images, and the data are subsequently analysed with the support of artificial intelligence to identify possible damage. Within the city, drones are predominantly used for the maintenance of district heating pipes.  The thermographic cameras detect leaks by identifying spots where the ground temperature is higher, so unnecessary excavations can be avoided.  This saves effort, costs and the annoyance caused by road closures and the like.

The advantages of drone maintenance

The use of drones minimises system downtimes and reduces the amount of excavations needed. Analysing the data by means of artificial intelligence ensures objective assessment. The archived data serve as a body of reference material, allowing installations to be documented and observed over longer periods of time and any changes automatically detected. In addition, the drones also reduce the time required for data collection.

Sustainable operation

Inspections play an important role in ensuring that technical infrastructure is utilised to its full potential. Using drones for visual inspections helps optimise the operational efficiency of technical installations. A radical improvement in energy efficiency is imperative in order to meet the goals and targets of the Smart City Wien Framework Strategy, as this is the only way of reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions despite a rising population and economic growth.

In the field of drone maintenance Wien Energie works with the start-ups Skyability and Birds.ai. The service was developed in 2017 on the back of the first Wien Energie Innovation Challenge and is now a fully-fledged business model.

WE_Drohne_v09 from Wien Energie GmbH on Vimeo.

Contact

Wien Energie GmbH

Website: www.wienenergie.at/drohne (in German)