Unmanned vehicle for power line repair tested in Yamal

The equipment was tested 40 kilometers from the city. On the test section of the power transmission line, it had to remove ice, protect the wire from new icing by spraying a liquid reagent, plus repair the damaged cable. In the harsh weather conditions of the Arctic (in January, the thermometer in Yamal dropped to minus 20-30 degrees), the machine demonstrated high efficiency. One of the main problems with the use of drones is their vulnerability to electromagnetic fields, but this model can safely land directly on a wire under a voltage of 220 kilovolts. Thanks to the use of a video camera and a thermal imager, the operator detects damage with high accuracy and installs a coupling sleeve with the help of a drone. In addition, it was possible to test three types of new reagents that had not previously been used to solve such problems. According to preliminary calculations, they will save the cable from icing for up to two months.

The drone tests were conducted within the framework of the national project "Unmanned Aircraft Systems" and the corresponding regional program. Let us recall: Yamal was chosen as one of the pilot sites where an experimental legal regime for UAV flights is in effect.

It is noteworthy that the agile "tightrope walker" is a completely Russian development; it was created and produced in Yekaterinburg.

– The introduction of such technology will ensure uninterrupted power supply to populated areas in winter and reduce the costs of servicing power lines, – comments on the test results the head of the department for the implementation of priority projects of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District project office Dmitry Dobrynin.