Safety The Elios 3 allowed the team to inspect and plan maintenance for a 35-meter-tall surge tank from the ground, eliminating the need for risky on-site access. Efficiency A 7-minute drone flight provided precise data, helping the team plan rope access routes without relying on assumptions or estimates, saving time and resources. Accuracy The Elios 3 revealed that the surge tank was not built as originally designed. This discovery led to updated site records and revised flow calculations based on real-world conditions. Collaboration Osprey Integrity worked closely with rope access specialists to ensure safe and efficient maintenance planning. The accurate data from the drone enabled faster decision-making and better safety protocols. Hydroelectric power is one of the most regulated industries, with infrastructure built using the best technology available at the time. However, as technology advances, it becomes essential to revisit and upgrade these facilities to maintain efficiency and safety. This was the case for the Taltson Hydro Plant, located on the Taltson River in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The Taltson Hydro Plant currently operates a single hydroelectric station. For six months, the facility has been offline for major refurbishment, including the installation of a new turbine and generator, as well as necessary repairs. Part of this process involved a thorough inspection of the water conveyance system, with a special focus on the penstock surge tank, which plays a crucial role in stabilizing pressure during turbine operation. As part of the refurbishment, the plant’s capacity needed to be increased. This required detailed assessments of all components, especially the surge tank. Accessing the inside of a 35-meter-high structure is inherently dangerous and complex, making traditional methods impractical. To address this challenge, a team of experts was brought in, including Mark Horton from Dimension Consulting, Yannick Methot from GTA Hydro, and Mark Nevison, a rope access specialist from Crux Trades. They were tasked with collecting accurate data to support future upgrades and maintenance plans. Mark Nevison, who leads the rope access team, proposed using drones to assist with data collection, particularly for the surge tank. He reached out to Osprey Integrity, a drone service provider, to conduct the inspection. The Elios 3, known for its ability to navigate confined spaces and collect high-quality LiDAR and visual data, was selected for the task. Access to the site was challenging—only possible by small plane due to its remote location. Despite this, the team managed to complete the mission efficiently. Courtland Penk, president of Osprey Integrity, traveled to the site to conduct the inspection. The Elios 3 was used to capture detailed imagery and LiDAR data from inside the surge tank, focusing on the orifice and the T-Joint in the piping system. The entire flight took just 7 minutes, yet it provided comprehensive data that would have taken much longer to gather manually. The drone also helped identify areas of rust and structural issues that could impact future maintenance operations. This data was then processed using software like CloudCompare and Metashape, allowing engineers to perform computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and assess the performance of the surge tank under different conditions. Mark Nevison and his team used the findings to plan rope access routes, ensuring that any work at height was conducted safely and effectively. The results highlighted the importance of combining drone technology with human expertise for more accurate and efficient inspections. The collaboration between Osprey Integrity, the engineering team, and the rope access specialists demonstrated how drones can enhance safety, accuracy, and efficiency in large-scale infrastructure projects. By providing real-time, high-quality data, the Elios 3 played a key role in streamlining the refurbishment process. With the Taltson Hydro Plant now back online, the project serves as a model for how modern technology can be integrated into traditional inspection workflows. Looking ahead, the plant is set to increase its capacity from 18MW to 22MW, thanks in part to the insights gained from this drone-assisted inspection. Discover more about the Elios 3 and its advanced surveying capabilities to see how they can benefit your next project. Electric Heating Frying Machine Electric Heating Frying Machine,Peanuts Nuts Fryer,Automatic Fryer With Electric Heat,Fried Meat Balls Frying Machine Zhucheng Lijie Food Machinery Co., Ltd. , https://www.lijiegroup.comInspecting a 35-Meter Surge Tank with the Elios 3 in Canada
Key Benefits at a Glance
Planning Future Upgrades with Drone Mapping
Incorporating Drones into Inspection Workflows
The Impact of the Elios 3 Inspection