Abstract
Fault diagnosis of power transmission systems (PTSs) is crucial for ensuring the reliability of power grids because most grids are exposed to harsh environments. For integrity diagnosis of PTSs, this article proposes a nondestructive patrol inspection method that employs a smart inspection system (SIS) mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This system overcomes the geographical limitations faced in accessing PTSs. The SIS includes an ultraviolet camera system that can detect partial discharges on the damaged surfaces of PTSs. The SIS is characterized by three main features. First, it employs an automatic line-tracking method based on image-processing methods. Second, defect locations are automatically estimated on the basis of the consistency of partial discharges, where consistency indicates the steadiness of corona discharges in one-dimensional global coordinates. Third, an alarm is triggered on the basis of the combination of the result from a statistical outlier detection method and the estimated partial discharge locations on a two-dimensional partial discharge map. Finally, a UAV equipped with the proposed system is field-tested for PTS inspection in the autopilot mode. Field tests conducted on ultrahigh-voltage PTSs confirmed the damage detection capabilities of the proposed method and demonstrated its effectiveness and convenience.
Highlights
Power transmission systems (PTSs), which consist of transmission lines (TLs) and auxiliary systems, are the lifeline of modern industries and civilization because electricity is a major energy source for most systems and facilities
We have developed a smart inspection system (SIS) that can be mounted on a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for patrol inspection of TLs and auxiliary systems of PTSs
This study presents an SIS based on an embedded nondestructive fault diagnostic method
Summary
Power transmission systems (PTSs), which consist of transmission lines (TLs) and auxiliary systems, are the lifeline of modern industries and civilization because electricity is a major energy source for most systems and facilities. Intelligent inspection of power facilities has attracted considerable attention with the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, which has led to technological advances in mobility and novel sensors The products of this revolution are useful for proactive and condition-based operation and maintenance of PTSs, The associate editor coordinating the review of this manuscript and approving it for publication was Amjad Anvari-Moghaddam. They cannot be used for real-time inspection because the data are collected during relatively short periods of time They are more cost-effective than IoT-based operation and maintenance of PTSs. mobility solutions can help overcome the constraints associated with accessing overhead PTSs, which are typically 50–100 m above the ground or higher in the case of ultrahigh-voltage lines [7]. This study aims to alleviate limitations to access PTSs and improves convenience and efficiency of patrol inspection
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