Hydrogen-powered drone used for first time to inspect power transmission lines in cold region

State Grid Harbin Power Supply Company’s Transmission and Transportation Inspection Center Intelligent Inspection Technology Yu Yangzheng led work team member Yao Yuan to carry out an application test of hydrogen-powered drones in transmission line inspection operations. This is also the first time that hydrogen-powered drones are used in alpine and cold areas. First application in power grid inspection. The test location is under the 220 kV East Momo Line A and B transmission tower near Changjiang Road, Daowai District, Harbin City. The time is 9:00 a.m. on December 13

The hydrogen-powered drone photographed by Wang Runze is used for power transmission line inspection operations

Hydrogen-powered drones use hydrogen fuel cells as the core power. The hydrogen they carry and the naturally inhaled oxygen undergo a chemical reaction under the action of a platinum catalyst to generate electrical energy, thereby driving the drone to fly. This kind of drone truly achieves zero carbon emissions, and also has the advantages of ultra-long endurance and low temperature tolerance. It can conveniently and efficiently collect the conditions of transmission line channels, greatly reducing the inspection pressure of workers, and can promptly detect potential safety hazards such as damage to line channels from external forces, forest fires, and super-high trees, ensuring the safe and stable operation of the power grid

Conducting drone inspections in cold climates has always been a major challenge. This inspection mission used a six-rotor hydrogen-powered drone, equipped with visible light and infrared lenses, and successfully conducted a channel inspection of towers 1 to 22 of the 220 kV East Mozambique Line A and B. Moreover, in a low temperature environment of minus 22 degrees Celsius, the drone completed test tasks such as endurance stability, emergency response timeliness, and long-distance relay. Through this application, the reliability of hydrogen-powered drones for long-term inspections in low-temperature environments was verified. This shows that hydrogen-powered drones can complete various inspection tasks safely and efficiently under low temperature conditions

There are nearly a thousand kilometers of transmission lines in the mountainous and hilly areas of Harbin. In the past, some places were unable to be reached in a timely manner due to severe winter weather and mountain road conditions. Now, the high endurance of hydrogen-powered drones can be used to monitor the operating status of the power grid, conduct quick inspections and provide timely feedback of on-site information for professional decision-making and processing

In the past, our inspection cycle of the eastern Harbin grid required 4 groups of patrol personnel to carry out inspection tasks at more than 500 points over 4 days. After using hydrogen power, it is expected that the number of points will be reduced by half, and the inspection time can be shortened to about 2 days. "Yu Yang said, "In addition, Harbin is about to host the 2025 Asian Winter Games. As our research and application of hydrogen-powered drones continue to deepen, this new technology will play a greater role in power grid inspections. "(over)

Source: China News Network

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