GPS World

Tag: utilities

  • Sharper Shape introduces multi-sensor payload for manned helicopters

    Sharper Shape, a provider of unmanned aerial utility inspection solutions, has released the Heliscope 2.0, an onboard payload system that expands the company’s aerial sensing portfolio into the manned helicopter industry.

    According to the company, the Heliscope 2.0 integrates multiple sensor systems into a single, lightweight helicopter payload, capable of simultaneously collecting a range of data types required for utility maintenance and vegetation management inspections.

    Deployment of the Heliscope 2.0 enables optimized inspection and maintenance schedules, offering potential cost savings in those operational activities by as much as 50 percent.

    The Heliscope 2.0 also stands out with its flexible mounting configurations and ability to adapt for mounting on many different helicopter types.

    For example, the system can be mounted on most Bell Jet/Long Ranger helicopters using its FAA-approved nose mount, or attached to numerous other typical helicopter models using its unique Glider aerodynamic sled.

    The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) permits mounting the Heliscope 2.0 to helicopters by using the cargo hook found on many helicopter models; this user-friendly method is approved by FAA under a classification for gliders.

    “While drones are a very flexible and safe method for performing utility inspections, there are situations where manned helicopters are the preferred vehicle to host sensors during certain utility inspections,” said Mikko Saarisalo, Sharper Shape’s vice president of drones and project lead for the Heliscope 2.0 project. “The new Heliscope 2.0 provides a solution for those situations where we need to operate over greater distances or in harsher environments than the drones can easily accommodate. This system takes our data harvesting efficiency and productivity up to a level unprecedented in the industry.”

    CORE includes algorithms to automatically analyze lidar point clouds and quickly generate utility vegetation management reports. Further, its unique automatic issue detection (AID) machine vision software uses artificial intelligence (AI) to eliminate the daunting task of performing frame-by-frame image data inspection, allowing personnel to focus on other aspects of inspection compliance.

    CORE applications work equally well with either Sharper Shape’s proven unmanned aerial inspection services, or with the new Heliscope 2.0 manned aircraft solution.

    “The fact that the Heliscope 2.0 integrates fully with our CORE software suite is a huge benefit,” said Sharper Shape CEO Ilkka Hiidenheimo. “We can collect all the key inspection assets and measurements in one high-speed pass, and then easily pass these files to our CORE suite for automatic processing. Sharper Shape is the only company on the market that offers this range of options for collecting aerial data and for processing this data automatically into a wide range of digital report formats.”

    The Heliscope 2.0 system is now available for immediate contract services in the U.S., South America and Europe.

  • Esri releases Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS to manage events in real time

    Esri has released a new web browser application, allowing users to create reporting dashboards that use charts, gauges, maps and other visual elements to reflect the status and performance of people, services, assets and events in real time.

    Using dynamic dashboards through Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS, organizations of all types — from emergency operations centers to public utilities — can view crucial activities and key performance indicators that are vital to meeting their objectives.

    “The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communication [OEMC] GIS team has been using Operations Dashboard to support various events with access to real-time information,” said Joe Kezon, GIS manager for the Chicago OEMC. “We are looking forward to the enhancements that will further increase our ability to ensure the safety and security of the City of Chicago.”

    With an easily accessible web app, executives can monitor their organizations’ activities to assess what is working well and what needs attention.

    Esri-Operations-Dashboard-ArcGIS-W

    “The Emergency Management division of the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications works very closely with our public safety partners and the city’s infrastructure departments in our comprehensive approach to event and incident management,” said Thomas Sivak, deputy director, Emergency Management, Chicago OEMC. “The Operation Dashboard allows us to effectively coordinate among agencies and adjust resources to make Chicago a safe place to live, work, and play.”

    Having this type of authoritative data allows decision-makers to reduce the risk of costly errors due to inaccurate or outdated information, better control the allocation of resources, maintain real-time awareness of where assets and human resources are located, monitor conditions live such as weather and traffic, and achieve real-time insight to respond to changing conditions.

    “The new Operations Dashboard web app enables, at a glance, decision-making better than ever,” said Jeff Shaner, Esri product manager. “Not only can dashboards be authored online — anywhere, at any time — but the common platform allows greater collaboration among personnel.”

    Operations Dashboard also provides a common interface to monitor progress and identify vulnerabilities that could compromise the success of an organization’s mission. Dashboards can be authored completely in a web browser. There is no need to download and install an app anymore.

    Users can launch Operations Dashboard by using their ArcGIS organizational account. They can also browse and manage dashboards within their ArcGIS organizational content or on the dashboard home page.

    Photo: Esri

  • Esri releases complete utility GIS platform

    New utility network management extension combines advanced system of record with location-based analytics.

    Esri, the geographic information system (GIS) technology and spatial analytics company, is releasing advanced network capabilities for utilities as part of the company’s ArcGIS platform.

    The ArcGIS Utility Network ManagementEsri-utilities_Analytics extension, which delivers the new utility network, lets users create, manage and share complete data about networks from source to demand, such as residential meters for electric, water, wastewater, gas, district heating and telecommunications companies.

    These network management capabilities enhance Esri’s current utility platform for handling billions of data elements while providing access to the utility network on any device, anytime, anywhere. For the first time, workers will be able to edit and trace the path of a network from a smart device while in the field and share information securely and more easily with those who need it. Previously, each utility subnetwork — like transmission lines, substations, and distribution and low-voltage networks — had its own separate GIS database.

    The utility network provides a holistic system for every component of the utility supply chain right down to the customer, as well as the ability to store unprecedented detail on each of these components, which will be very important as utilities evolve to provide higher fidelity information to operational systems.

    “We are very excited about the release of our next-generation utility platform,” said Jeff Rashid, Esri global director for utilities and communications. “These advanced capabilities will help utilities and telecoms provide greater details about their networks across their organization, at a rate of speed not seen in the past.”

    The ArcGIS Utility Network Management extension allows the utility network to be completely cross-platform capable, meaning it is not confined to users of desktop GIS software. Before this innovation, location data was not easily accessible for fieldworkers or executives, managers, service technicians, and accountants who needed to have accurate, real-time understanding of utility assets.

    In addition, Esri partners in the utility field will be able to use this network to add greater value to their workflow, create new solutions allowing personnel to be more efficient, and to better satisfy the needs of their customers.

    “We are excited about the new capabilities in Esri’s utility network management platform and look forward to evolving the ArcFM Solution XI Series to offer utilities unprecedented value,” said Jay Stinson, general manager, Schneider Electric Geospatial Business. “This next generation platform enables us to build a world class ecosystem for managing the design and construction workflow. The continued strength of the historic Esri and SE partnership will help utilities realize the full potential of their GIS investment, equipping them to address the challenges facing today’s digital utility.”

  • Drone completes 100-km flight for oil and gas market

    SkyX Systems Corporation has successfully completed an unmanned data-collection flight of 100 kilometers (km), one of the longest journeys in its class.

    The firm flew its SkyOne unmanned aerial system (UAS) on an autonomous data mission over more than 100 km of gas pipeline in Mexico. The robotic flight was programmed and monitored remotely from the company’s Greater Toronto Area SkyCenter mission control, with a support crew of engineers on the ground in Mexico.

    Using high-resolution imagery, the longest of multiple flights identified more than 200 potentially significant anomalies along the remote pipeline, ranging from unauthorized buildings and cultivation, to a fissure possibly caused by seismic activity.

    More than $38 billion is spent annually monitoring oil and gas pipelines using less efficient means. The SkyX System flight gathered data in a little more than an hour that would have taken a person well over a week. It identified more than 200 georeferenced anomalies the customer was unaware existed, pinpointing precise coordinates for rapid investigation and remediation.

    The SkyX System consists of a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone, the SkyCenter control room, which allows for real-time and secure mission monitoring from remote locations, as well as the company’s proprietary SkyBoxes that enable SkyOne to recharge and continue long-range missions without having to return to home, a factor that limits many drones.

    Using the system, a client doesn’t need a trained pilot to operate a remote-control unit — the entire mission is programmed and carried out autonomously, from takeoff to landing. Plus, the VTOL drone eliminates the need for runways, launchers or capture devices.

  • NIST explores timing alternatives for smart grids

    The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a 33-page special publication reporting on the results of a workshop convened to recommend research and development priorities for alternatives to GPS time distribution in electrical power systems.

    “If timing is to become mission critical, redundant means of distributing timing information is essential,” according to NIST.

    NIST hosted the “Time Distribution Alternatives for the Smart Grid Workshop” at its Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus on March 21. The information gained will inform future NIST, U.S. Department of Energy, national laboratories and private sector technical programs and strategic planning.

    The workshop consisted of experts on both electrical power and wide-area time distribution. The experts came from industry, utilities, academia and government.

    The findings cover desired future characteristics, targets, challenges and barriers to adoption of time distribution alternatives; and priority R&D areas for time distribution alternatives.

    Potential alternatives to wide area distributed time synchronization include Enhanced WWVB (radio signal broadcasting), eLoran (hyperbolic radio navigation) and the IEEE Wide Area Precision Time Protocol (PTP – master slave clock synchronization).

    Results of the workshop illustrate the need for alternatives to existing GPS timing systems as well as backup systems and many of the challenges that need to be addressed to develop and implement alternatives. Some of the overarching themes that emerged include the following:

    • While a number of potential alternative exist, they will require further infrastructure, research and concerted investment to implement and demonstrate their potential to replace, supplement, back up, or fill gaps in existing GPS systems.
    • Potential alternatives may need to be combined in ensembles to fill gaps, create the needed redundancies, and supplement GPS-based timing.
    • Future alternatives to GPS will need to have the same or better levels of accuracy, resilience, security, trustworthiness, and availability to supplant existing systems; a diversity of timing distribution systems may be needed (terrestrial, communication-based, wireless, etc.).
    • Dependency on space-based systems is currently strong due to their perceived reliability; there is limited awareness of the possible adverse impacts of timing failure events in such systems (and few backups exist).
    • Developing and using existing alternatives and new technologies, and integrating these with legacy systems will require standards and use cases to enable new technology, architectures, and interoperability among systems.
    • Better understanding of attack and failure threat modes is needed to estimate and demonstrate the true consequences of timing failures in systems based entirely on GPS.

  • Sharper Shape, SkySkopes string transmission lines using drones

    A pair of companies is using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for powerline construction.

    Sharper Shape, a drone-based automated inspection provider, and SkySkopes, a professional UAS flight operator, took on a project in cooperation with an investor-owned utility.

    Photo: Sharper Shape
    Photo: Sharper Shape

    The mission used the Sharper A6 UAS to string sock lines for a 675-kilovolt line construction project.

    Sock pulling, the act of flying a strong and lightweight rope and attaching it to the towers, is typically performed via helicopters or by workers climbing the towers.

    Both these methods involve risk to both helicopter pilots and ground crews. The use of UAS is eliminating the previously complex process — consisting of several steps of reattaching the rope — and decreasing the risk of injury for people involved.

    The mission highlighted how UAS are a safe and effective option for many applications in the utility industry beyond basic inspections, according to Matt Dunlevy, CEO and president of SkySkopes.

    “This is a great proof of concept for unmanned aircraft because we proved that they can string both the outboard lines and the center line through the middle of the center phase of a tower,” Dunlevy said. “There are risks associated with both helicopter and tower climbing methods. Now there is another option as proven by Sharper Shape and SkySkopes.”

    Photo: SkySkopes
    Photo: SkySkopes

    “When the utility first reached out there were lots of unknowns,” said Paul Frey, director, electric utilities for Sharper Shape. “Working as a team, we pulled together, developing a test plan and executing the flights.”

    The team modified a heavy-lift small UAS to carry line, and then ran five test flights to test objectives related to pulling the line through each of the tower phases and setting the line on the center pulley.

    SkySkopes’ pilots are trained for difficult missions, often flying advanced heavy-lift multi-rotor aircraft with precision where autonomy is impractical.

  • Microsemi’s BlueSky GPS Firewall protects critical infrastructure

    Microsemi’s BlueSky GPS Firewall protects critical infrastructure

    Microsemi Corporation, a provider of semiconductor solutions, today announced its new approach to protecting critical infrastructure against GPS spoofing and jamming threats.

    The BlueSky GPS Firewall is designed to provide security protection for GPS-delivered position, navigation and timing (PNT) data. It can be deployed in-line between any standard GPS antenna and stationary GPS receiver to provide protection against GPS signal incidents, both intentional or accidental, before they enter a GPS receiver system.

    Microsemi is making BlueSky GPS Firewall Evaluation kits available in advance of its full production release, both in response to the growing number of GPS incidents and their potential threat to critical infrastructure, and to assist customers in rapid adoption.

    BlueSky GPS Firewall filters the GPS signal in real time, removing anomalies before the signal is consumed by the downstream GPS receiver. This creates an intelligent and secure barrier against jamming and spoofing, and prevents the GPS receiver from being impacted by such incidents.

    Deployment of the BlueSky GPS Firewall does not require any new cabling or alteration of the pre-existing antenna installation and is interoperable with standard GPS receivers. Additionally, the BlueSky GPS Firewall incorporates an Ethernet interface for remote management and monitoring and includes a secure web interface that any browser can use for configuration and set-up of the device.

    The BlueSky GPS Firewall includes a broad range of data validation rules based on real, live-sky GPS threats, both intentional and unintentional. Similar to network security threats, new GPS vulnerabilities are on the rise and Microsemi is continuously tracking GPS signal manipulation including spoofing threats, jamming attacks, multipath signal interference, atmospheric activity and many other issues that can create GPS signal anomalies, disruptions and outages.

    These advancements are incorporated into the software platform of the BlueSky GPS Firewall, which can be updated remotely using Microsemi’s TimePictra management system.

    GPS Dependency

    The dependency on PNT is increasingly important to critical infrastructure sectors such as telecommunications, energy, transportation, emergency services, financial services and enterprise infrastructure, and is mainly provided through GPS.

    “Worldwide critical infrastructure dependency on unprotected GPS receivers is a serious security risk. These receivers are susceptible to jamming and spoofing incidents and the industry recognizes this as an increasing threat,” said Randy Brudzinski, vice president and business unit manager of Microsemi’s Frequency and Time division. “The vast number of GPS systems already in operation means a significant investment would be required if every system was to be replaced. Microsemi’s BlueSky GPS Firewall is a cost-effective and easy-to-deploy solution to protect GPS without requiring replacement of deployed GPS systems.”

    Published best-practice documents by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) describe steps that can be taken to mitigate outages and disruptions with GPS reception. In alignment with these documents, Microsemi’s new BlueSky GPS Firewall provides critical infrastructure sectors with a first line of defense against GPS threats to help build out a secure, robust and resilient PNT platform for their infrastructures.

    According to the 2017 GNSS Market Report, Issue 5, by the European GNSS Agency, professional market segments such as maritime, rail, telecom/utility/enterprise, surveying, aviation, agriculture and drones which use GNSS devices to operate their infrastructures, enable billions of people globally to benefit from them on a day-to-day basis—whether by enjoying the produce of sustainable and cost-effective agriculture, by using efficiently coordinated transport networks, or by leveraging on GNSS-synchronized telecommunications networks. The total installed base of GNSS devices in these professional segments was estimated at 14.4 million units in 2015 and is expected to grow to 97.8 million units by 2025.

  • Drones a valuable tool in hurricane recovery efforts

    Hurricane Harvey is the first major catastrophe in which drones have been used on a large scale by both government and commercial operators, said Ken Long, an analyst at the Freedonia Group.

    UAVs are also likely to find widespread use if Hurricane Irma either directly strikes or skirts the east coast of Florida early next week, as current projections show.

    In addition to helping keep emergency workers safe by allowing them to look for people trapped by floodwaters and inspect damage in high-risk areas, drone use can speed up the recovery process. Drones can be flown over structures such as fuel tanks, power lines and railroad tracks before they can be reached by land, enabling government agencies and utilities to identify what is in most urgent need of repair.

    They also allow insurance adjusters to more quickly process claims, enabling rebuilding efforts to get underway faster. Farmers Insurance reports that an insurance inspector using a drone can complete up to eight times the number of home inspections each day than he or she otherwise would be able to do.

    When Hurricane Harvey first made landfall in Texas on Aug. 25, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) set up a temporary but extensive no-fly zone over Houston and nearby areas to help protect first responders in helicopters and other manned aircraft. This flight ban included all drone operations except those specifically approved by the FAA.

    https://youtu.be/XRdUV4WqnDE

    In the 10 days that followed Hurricane Harvey, the FAA issued more than 100 separate authorizations for drone use in the Houston area, according to the Wall Street Journal. Some of the applications for drone use were reviewed and approved by the FAA within hours, an unusually fast turnaround time for an agency that typically takes days or weeks to make decisions.

    With the exception of a handful of flights conducted by media firms, all of the approved operations were for drones used in conjunction with, or on behalf of, government agencies. Drones were used to inspect bridges, roadways and power lines; assess the condition of oil refineries and water plants; and survey coastal damage.

    As the flood waters continued to recede and flight restrictions were eased or lifted, insurance companies — including Allstate, Farmers Insurance, Travelers and USAA — began to use drones to assess property damage and speed claims processing.

    However, drone use by insurance companies and other commercial users is limited by FAA rules that do not allow them to be flown above 400 feet, outside the visual line of sight of the operator, or above people not directly involved in their operation, unless a waiver is granted.

    These regulations could change with a 2018 FAA reauthorization bill being considered by Congress.

    “The demonstrated usefulness of drones in Hurricane Harvey response and recovery efforts could well influence the content of that legislation,” Long said.

    Even if the current FAA regulations remain in place, U.S. commercial drone demand will expand rapidly from what is currently an extremely small market base, according to the Freedonia Group’s Drones (UAVs) study. “Non-military government use of drones will also climb at a robust rate through 2020,” Long said.

    Both commercial and non-military government market gains will be fueled by further improvements in drone designs, making them more capable and easier to operate, customized for use in specific applications and cost-saving.

  • Honeywell teams with Intel on UAV inspection service

    Honeywell teams with Intel on UAV inspection service

    Honeywell has launched its first commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection service — the Honeywell InView inspection service — to help industrial customers improve critical structure inspections while helping increase employees’ safety from many of the risks associated with these often-dangerous working conditions.

    Intel Falcon 8+ octocopter drone.

    The Honeywell InView inspection service will combine the proven performance of the Intel Falcon 8+ UAV system and Honeywell’s expertise in the aerospace and industrial industries with data-driven software customized to the needs of the utility, energy, infrastructure, and oil and gas industries, the company said.

    The Honeywell InView inspection service package, which includes the components of the UAV, pilot app and customizable web portal, helps customers organize and create standards around their routine and crisis-response inspections.

    For example, the Honeywell InView inspection service can help utility customers create routine inspections of transmission and distribution systems that generate data that can be stored, searched and accessed from in the office and out in the field on demand.

    “This collaboration combines Intel’s advanced commercial Intel Falcon 8+ UAV system with Honeywell’s leadership in aerospace safety and connectivity to deliver solutions that deliver reliable, efficient and actionable information to utility and industrial customers,” said Carl Esposito, president, Electronic Solutions, Honeywell Aerospace. “Through our extensive industrial experience, our customers will also gain access to Honeywell’s customized software and data solutions that will help them log, analyze, and eventually predict or prevent outages and structural failures, while protecting the men and women called upon to complete these crucial but high-risk jobs.”

    “We are incredibly pleased to collaborate with Honeywell on this exciting new business opportunity,” said Anil Nanduri, general manager for Intel’s UAV business group. “The safety, flight precision and robust performance of the Intel Falcon 8+ system are a perfect fit for the Honeywell InView inspection service and will allow its customers to inspect, collect and analyze valuable data in a whole new way.”

    With Honeywell’s InView inspection service, customers tap into Honeywell’s experience across vertical segments such as utilities, aerospace, connected building management, and oil and gas technologies.

    In collaboration with Intel, Honeywell will utilize the intelligence and experiences of its diverse set of businesses to give customers a comprehensive solution and experience unrivaled in the marketplace.

    “Technology, along with the Internet of Things, is enabling utilities around the world to modernize the management of their energy grids,” said Nitin S. Kulkarni, president, Smart Energy, Honeywell Home and Building Technologies. ” Honeywell brings together the technology that allows utilities to transform how energy is consumed in homes and buildings with software-based systems that help safely and efficiently manage complex industrial facilities and utility grids. Honeywell also has more than 100 years of experience providing dependable products and services to a variety of industries, of which Honeywell InView inspection service is the latest entry.”

    Inspection Service goals

    Keeping workers safe. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, utility line workers have one of the top 10 most dangerous jobs in the United States, with 21.5 annual fatalities from high-voltage lines for every 100,000 workers.

    By using the inspection service, utility companies can send a UAV to perform routine inspections of substations, transmission towers and power lines while keeping boots on the ground and workers safe.

    For utilities, using a UAV for inspections offers safer and more cost-effective means than existing methods using helicopters, cherry pickers, ladders and walking inspections.

    Improving efficiency. Historically, inspections are siloed by organization and by individuals within organizations. Honeywell’s InView inspection service aims to create standardized inspections where customers can create operational efficiencies in the office and out in the field.

    Data capture and analysis. UAVs are being touted for their data-gathering capabilities, but without analytics, more data is simply more data. Honeywell’s service can synthesize vast quantities of data to identify only what is needed and actionable, translating workers’ tacit knowledge into valuable information that provides actionable insights for business.

    Connected Freight

    Honeywell and Intel also recently collaborated to create a Connected Freight platform that gives shippers and logistics companies the unprecedented ability to monitor shipments of high value and perishable goods, helping prevent costly damage and loss.

    The new Honeywell InView inspection service continues the work these two companies are doing to help various industries use connected devices to be more efficient and safer, and harness data in new and meaningful ways.

     

  • Kansas utility finds new workflow solutions

    Water, Water, Where?

    WaterOne found itself stuck in the past. The independent public utility knew that its workflow for collecting geospatial data was broken.

    WaterOne serves a 272-square-mile area on the Kansas side of the Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area, which has a population of 420,000, 145,000 metered accounts and 2,685 miles of water pipes. The survey/geospatial staff consisted of three analysts, two editors, one programmer and one GPS collector. By 2016, less than 40 percent of the water features had been captured with GPS.

    The staff was using legacy GNSS handhelds — operators had to return to the office every night and physically download their data.

    Besides being time-consuming, the operators would become frustrated by the antiquated system. Sometimes the handhelds wouldn’t sync to the computer, or files for download would be hard to find. Also, the GNSS handhelds had a tiny screen, making it difficult for operators to see background data in the field. The handhelds’ limited computing power meant the entire water system couldn’t be loaded onto it.

    WaterOne turned to a new workflow using Panasonic ToughPad tablet computers and Eos Positioning Systems’ Arrow 200 RTK GNSS receivers mounted on a range pole (see photo).

    The Arrow 200 receiver connects to the Panasonic ToughPad via wireless Bluetooth link. The ToughPad has a Verizon SIM card for internet connectivity, used for two purposes:

    • Connecting to the Missouri Department of Transportation RTK network to receive RTK corrections for centimeter accuracy;
    • Connecting to the WaterOne ArcGIS server in real time from the field.

    Whenever the field tech collects data, the data syncs up with ArcGIS server. This eliminates the task of having to physically download the data at the end of the day.

    The new workflow also provides near real-time updates to WaterOne’s geospatial information system. This means that if five techs are in the field collecting data, they can each see the map updated in near real time.

    The ToughPad tablets have a large, sunlight-readable 10-inch display. The large displays combined with the new data-collection software allows the field techs to view the entire GIS water system on the tablets. The field tech can now “see” all of the water system assets — pipes, valves, fittings, hydrants — around them. This significantly improves productivity over the legacy GNSS handhelds.

    Street maps and aerial photos were loaded on the ToughPad to give the field techs a choice of background data to view.

    The result? Compared to the 1,767 GPS points collected in 2016, the WaterOne team has collected 5,770 just in the first four months of 2017.

  • Indoor drone inspections made safer and faster

    A manufacturer of refinery infrastructure was about to finish the assembly of a radiant box when a thumbnail-size notch was noticed in one of the pipes just before it was to be installed. The radiant box facility is used in the process of refining hydrogen under very high temperature (1,300 to 2,000°F) and pressure (45 to 360 psi).

    The Elios by Flyability is a collision tolerant drone.

    The notch was noticed near the end of the assembly process of the 144 40-foot-high vertical pipes composing the radiant box. The refinery owner insisted that each of the installed pipes be inspected thoroughly before moving to the final stages of testing and firing up the radiant box.

    The refinery manufacturer faced a difficult problem. Made of a particular heat-resistant alloy containing 30 percent chrome, the pipes need careful treatment — contact with another alloy could damage them, which made use of scaffolding impractical. Instead, the customer turned to Industrial SkyWorks and its indoor inspection drone, Elios by Flyability.

    The complexity of the location, the large number of pipes, and the fact that they could easily be mixed up required a meticulous work approach by Industrial SkyWorks. The two-man UAV crew set up a charging station just outside the building. Four flights were needed per pipe to ensure complete coverage. Using the onboard lights of the Elios, the UAV flew to the top of each pipe and descended slowly, recording video.

    The Elios drone flew continuously for nearly five days in a dry and dusty environment, imaging both sides of each pipe. Once finished, the crew presented high-resolution video of each pipe to the satisfied client.
    Resulting savings are estimated at 75 percent for cost and 85 percent for time, the company said. For instance, using a UAV avoided the need for workers to work at height with the associated safety procedures.

    Photo courtesy of Flyability.

  • Avineon launches portal to highlight Esri’s Utility Network in ArcGIS

    Avineon Inc. has launched a new portion of the Avineon Innovation Lab dedicated to articles, white papers and videos highlighting the impact of Esri’s Network Management System in the ArcGIS Platform. Avineon is a provider of geospatial, information technology and engineering support services.

    The new section focuses on Avineon’s contributions, expertise and partnership with Esri on the next evolution of GIS Network Management: the Utility Network.

    Part of the ArcGIS platform, the Utility Network is available on any device.
    Part of the ArcGIS platform, the Utility Network is available on any device.

    GIS services and solutions have been a part of Avineon’s success for the last 25 years, which is keeping pace with evolving technology and the impact GIS has on companies in the utility and telecommunications industries.

    The Utility Network lets users create, manage, and share electric, water, wastewater, gas, district heating, and telecommunications asset data. The beta release of the Utility Network comes with base data models for electric, gas and water networks.

    The technology is capable of supporting other networks — such as district heating, telecommunication and wastewater — but, for now, users need to build their own data models or rely on partners. Esri will provide base data models in some of these areas in later releases.

    “Avineon has been a valuable partner and contributor to Esri’s Utility Network throughout the early adopter program, providing valuable feedback to our product teams,” commented Bill Meehan, Director of Utility Solutions for Esri. “The resulting Network Management System in the ArcGIS Platform will support utility and telecommunication companies as they execute their business plans for innovation, digital transition and transformation, sustainability, and smart ecosystems (smart grid, smart buildings, smart transportation, smart cities, etc.). We believe Avineon’s partnership with Esri and offerings like Avineon’s Head Start program, as well as observations into the practical applications of the Utility Network, through their Innovation Lab, will help industries understand the strategic and tactical pathway to maximize the value of their GIS now and into the future.”

    Joel Campbell, Avineon’s vice president of Commercial Systems, added, “As an Esri business partner, it is exciting to support our customers and contribute to Esri’s vision of the ArcGIS Platform. These new capabilities serve as the foundation for delivering a new generation of business applications leveraging web and services patterns as well as evolved network management capabilities. We at Avineon look forward to utilizing our Innovation Lab as an outlet to share the lessons learned, best practices, and case studies around the newest evolution of GIS and its impact on the utility and telecommunication industries.”