Intelligent inspection project for confined spaces
Use of drones in splicing chambers to minimise maintenance personnel access risks
This project, developed in collaboration with Red Eléctrica and High Line Division S.L., used a drone to measure air quality in underground cable splicing chambers in real-time, improving safety for maintenance personnel and optimising the operational and maintenance processes of underground electrical lines.
The intelligent inspection project for confined spaces significantly improves worker safety by enabling initial inspections in confined spaces without the need for human access. Furthermore, it optimises maintenance operations through real-time data capture, providing quicker and more accurate assessments of the facilities.

Underground cable splices are among the most important components of our underground infrastructure, and therefore, maintenance teams require stringent safety measures beforehand to access them, as they are confined spaces that may present physical limitations for inflow and outflow of natural ventilation. Additionally, toxic and flammable gases can accumulate inside. The atmosphere within the confined space may be oxygen-deficient, posing a health risk to workers.

Therefore, to further improve the safety of workers at Red Eléctrica (the Redeia company responsible for the transmission and operation of the electrical system), Elewit, in collaboration with the Central District of the company specialised in inspection services for industrial installations using drones, High Line Division, conducted gas measurements by introducing a drone inside a functioning splicing chamber. a gas measurement by introducing a drone into a functioning splicing chamber.

In this way, this joint project has achieved the following: 

  • Real-time measurement of gases across the entirety of the interior of a splicing chamber using a drone operated from the outside in Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) mode while it is being controlled remotely from a station.
  • The acquisition of additional real-time data on the condition of the facilities, such as visual data and thermography, without compromising the device and its sensors, or the installations. 

This achievement enables an initial inspection of the facility to be carried out using a drone before maintenance personnel enter, ensuring higher safety, especially in emergency situations. Additionally, all the data collected in real-time, along with any additional data that can be incorporated with new sensors, could be integrated into the new data capture methodologies being implemented within Redeia and its subsidiaries as part of their commitment to digitalisation. 

In this way, this innovative solution, which enables real-time capture of data regarding the condition of facilities in confined spaces without the need for personnel to be present, actively contributes to the operational and maintenance processes of underground electrical lines. Furthermore, this achievement not only improves the safety of professionals but also provides a quicker and more accurate initial assessment of the condition of the facilities.

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