(154a) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS): Case Studies that Highlight Challenges and Opportunities

Safety of personnel in operating industrial facilities is always a top priority for all. Elevated or confined space process structures, as with flare stacks, cooling towers, and columns/reactors, pose significant risks to personnel during the inspection process. Traditional inspection methods often require cranes, man lifts and rope access that allow personnel to be in close proximity to gather the necessary information and to perform the necessary visual inspection. This obviously creates significant safety risks for industry. Logistical planning for elevated platforms and rope access crews is not only time consuming, but also very expensive. These costs can run in the hundreds of thousands per day and often require that a plant unit be taken out of service for the duration of the inspection. Use of an emerging technology, unmanned aircraft systems or UAS (or drones) provide unbiased, real-time data on equipment and can capture many angles not typically captured by crane or man lift access. UAS companies can provide live streaming inspections to a monitor, giving clients the ability to see the data immediately and allow clients to direct the operation. If needed, UAS may be equipped with dual feeds for both high resolution and thermal imagery that can be obtained simultaneously during each flight. Furthermore, optical zoom lenses allow drones to operate at a safe distance for active flare stacks while still capturing extremely detailed information. Inspection information is captured on DVD for data transfer to company files. Regarding cost, UAS inspections have realized 70-80% cost savings compared to traditional methods of inspection. However, there are significant challenges in using drones such as FAA licenses, DHS and facility and neighbor notifications. This presentation will provide one UAS customer’s challenges and opportunities in the form of a case study.