DRONE THERMAL INSPECTIONS FOR POWER GRIDS

Thermal (IR) and RGB images and video, simultaneous image capture for more efficient and higher quality data.

Teams from Laguna Drones provide Drone Thermal (IR) Inspections of Utility Transmission and Distribution (T&D) assets throughout the United States from our base in San Jose, CA.

Our Drones are flown by experienced P107 qualified drone pilots and those pilots involved in thermal (IR) projects are also sUAS Level 1 Certificated Thermographers.

We use the latest DJI Commercial drones (M210 & Inspire2) and the DJI Flir XT2 IR Camera. This camera is built for DJI by FLIR and features a dual sensor configuration both with some zoom capability. We can capture data for qualitative and quantitative analysis subject to your requirements.

This new drone/sensor technology allows us to inspect remote, hard to access transmission & distribution towers and circuits, with a minimum footprint and provide a wide range of quality deliverables at very competitive pricing, of course it can also be just as effective on suburban inspection projects.

Transmission
Detailed thermal inspection, looking for any anomalies on Insulators, Towers, Lines, Connections, from a safe stand off and all done from ground level so no climbing involved. Confirm condition of assets, locate potential faults before they become an issue.

Distribution
Detailed thermal inspection, looking for any anomalies on Transformers, Lines, Insulators, looking for any hot spots on the structure that may signify potential problems all from a safe standoff.

Excellent alternative or complement to a visual inspection, capture angles and asset conditions which cannot be seen from the ground and provide photographic evidence to support the inspection. We provide the images to your specifications for review by your trained electrical staff.

Two man teams working independently or embedded with your staff operating inside agreed safety parameters.

Deliverables
Can include still images in R-jpg and jpg (thermal & true color)  as well as time synced and compiled videos allowing the viewer to see both the IR and RGB image side by side. This allows for a side by side comparison of the asset, in thermal and true color. Custom reports can be generated based on your project specifications. Multiple options for IR color palettes are available to give you the best contrast for your images. I prefer Gray (with white hot option) but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

These deliverables provide, the next level of detail as an inspector can view both the true color image and the IR image (captured in one visit) to determine if there is an issue that needs additional inspection or corrective action.

IR does not operate in the visible spectrum, the camera and software visualize heat emitted, reflected or radiated from an object, therefore IR cameras can be operated at night and provide excellent thermal image quality.

Heaviest electrical load can be mornings just before/after dawn and evenings just before/after dusk. Drones by default are not allowed to fly at night, we have a FAA Daylight Waiver (107.29) which allows us to fly after dark in the United States, pretty much anywhere away from larger airports.

If you have a project you would like to discuss or have additional thermal questions, please contact us via Email or Phone and we will be more than happy to assist.