Electricity and Control May 2022

PLANT MAINTENANCE, TEST + MEASUREMENT : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Drones make boiler inspection easier

The Fluke 572-2 high temperature, infrared thermometer, which can be used in measuring extreme heat over long distances, is available from Comtest. Typical applications are in: - Manufacturing – in repair and maintenance of motors and pumps, with data logging - Electrical HVAC installations – in repair and mainte nance of panels, fuses, circuit breakers, compres sors, ducts and remote access vents - Power utilities – in measurement of nodes between power transmission and distribution - Metals – in maintenance and quality control where temperatures are monitored during the process - Petrochemicals – in maintenance of the exterior of the kiln (temperature), monitoring the surface tem perature of the reformer tubes. The Fluke 572-2 measures temperatures between The benefits of using advanced drone technology for in specting boiler internals at a power station were clear when rope access specialist Skyriders Access Special ists recently undertook a project in the Nkangala district of Mpumalanga. The Elios SkyEye drone demonstrated the accuracy and efficiency of the technology, and its safety aspects, as there is no need to erect expensive and cumbersome scaffolding to gain access to carry out a manual inspec tion. “Our drone technology is specifically suited for visual inspection in indoor environments like the large coal-fired boilers and ducting at power stations,” says Skyriders Marketing Manager, Mike Zinn. He explains that gener ally, drones cannot use GPS tracking and stability when indoors. However, Elios SkyEye is collision-tolerant for flexible and highly accessible remote visual inspection. The drone incorporates a full HD camera, a thermal camera, and an on-board LED lighting system with re motely adjustable intensity. This means an array of on board tools is available for any lighting conditions. A wireless communications system with a live video feed back allows for the drone to be brought into usually inac cessible places, up to hundreds of metres beyond the line of sight. The Elios ground station comprises a remote controller, a tablet and a purpose-designed ground control application, providing the pilot with live data and an SD live video stream captured by the drone. All the information and controls are on hand for efficient and safe remote operation. In addition, the drone is dust- and splash-resistant and can operate in temperatures from 0°C up to 50°C. “Our boiler inspection work has a huge amount of ex perience behind it and the seasoned piloting capabilities High temperature infrared thermometer

Skyriders used its Elios SkyEye drone to inspect boiler internals at a power station in Mpumalanga. of our drone team. The team takes the time needed to carry out a thorough inspection and deliver clean and stable footage. This gives us access to richly informative imagery, which we use as the basis of our inspection re ports,” says Zinn. Another key differentiator for Skyriders in the inspec tion and maintenance sector is that it has been issued with a Remote Operating Certificate (ROC) from the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA). This means it is certified to deploy its drones outdoors within civil airspace, which enables it to extend the scope of its inspection services for clients significantly.

For more information visit: www.ropeaccess.co.za

-30°C and 900°C with ±1% accuracy. Measurements from further away are accurate with a 60:1 distance-to-spot ratio, with dual laser sighting for fast, accurate targeting. The device displays current temperature plus maximum, minimum, differential, and average temperature with adjustable emissivity and predefined emissivity tables. It features a multiple language (user select) interface and is compatible with a standard K-type mini-connector thermocouple probe (KTC). The unit is supplied with a USB 2.0 computer interface cable, FlukeView® Forms documenting software and the standard Fluke two-year warranty.

The Fluke 572-2 high temperature infrared thermometer.

For more information contact Comtest. Tel: +27 (0)10 595 1821 Email: sales@comtest.co.za Visit: www.comtest.co.za

26 Electricity + Control MAY 2022