Drones Developed in Russia to Detect Hidden Power Grid Defects

Engineers at the Russian Aeromaks group of companies have developed and patented a technology for diagnosing power transmission lines (PTL) using drones. The new system enables early detection of dangerous defects by analyzing ultraviolet radiation invisible to the human eye. Ixbt.com reports .

The method is based on detecting a phenomenon known as 'corona discharge.' This is a microscopic flash occurring at damaged points on wires or insulators that emits ultraviolet radiation. A high-speed camera onboard the drone captures these flashes, and the data is then processed using specialized mathematical algorithms.

A unique feature of this development is that the system does not merely identify light sources but analyzes the pulsation of the discharge. If the flashes occur rhythmically in sync with the power grid frequency (50 Hz), it indicates a serious defect. Irregular flashes are treated as background noise and ignored.

Unlike existing analogs, the Aeromaks system operates effectively even during daylight using special filters and accurately determines the severity of the defect. Future plans include integrating artificial intelligence into the technology to help predict fault development and schedule maintenance.