In October 2022 Sutro was commissioned to carry out a drone inspection of the Sutton Bridge Power Station in accordance with the requirements of European Standard, BS EN 13018.
Sutton Bridge Power Station is an 819 MW gas-fired power station in Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire, UK. It is situated on Centenary Way close to the River Nene.
The European Standard, BS EN 13018 specifies the general principles for visual testing both directly and remotely when it is used to determine the compliance of a product with specified requirements
The drone inspection focused on the valves, vents & stacks which were isolated and offline during the inspection. Our choice of drone for the inspection was the DJI Matrice 30T drone, DJI Enterprise’s flagship drone.
DJI Matrice specifications include:
Wide Camera
- Equivalent Focal Length: 24 mm, DFOV: 84°
- 12 MP 1/2” CMOS Sensor
- Video Resolution: 4K/30fps
Zoom Camera
- 48 MP 1/2” CMOS Sensor
- 5×-16× Optical Zoom
- 200× Max. Hybrid Zoom
- Photo Resolution: 8K
- Video Resolution: 4K/30fps
Thermal Imaging Camera
- Equivalent Focal Length: 40 mm
- Resolution: 640×512
- Frame Rate: 30fps
- Measurement Accuracy: ±2°C or ±2%
The benefits of the DJI Matrice 30T Thermal Drone include:
- Fits in a backpack or can be used with the DJI Dock for autonomous deployment.
- integrates multiple high-performance sensors into one single camera payload and can be used with the new DJI FlightHub 2 fleet management and flight planning software.
IP55 weather rating, making it ideal for missions in hostile environments. - Operation temperatures from -20° C to 50° C.
- Improved first-person view pilot camera for low light conditions
- Three-propeller emergency landing, Health Management System, six-way obstacle avoidance sensors.
- Four-antenna OcuSync 3 Enterprise transmission ensures a strong redundancy, and it supports LTE link backup, in the face of complex terrain and working conditions.
- Fastest, easiest high-performance DJI Enterprise drone to set up.
Results of the drone inspection:
- No areas of damage or deformation were found in the valves, vents or stacks. However, widespread areas of corrosion were noted throughout all assets. Individual assets could benefit from a cleaning and fabric maintenance regime to prevent further corrosion.
- All asset connections appeared to be in place and in an acceptable condition throughout with no signs of deformation or extensive corrosion. It was noted however that was surface corrosion on numerous bolts and welded seams which could benefit from a cleaning and repainting maintenance regime.
- The ‘lattice’ structures across all assets appeared to an acceptable condition with isolated areas of surface corrosion throughout. These isolated areas could benefit from a cleaning and repainting maintenance regime to prevent further corrosion. No signs of deformation were recorded.
- A foreign object was noted at the time of the inspection on the relief valve of one of the stacks. Removal should be considered at the earliest opportunity to prevent inadvertent interference with plant operations.
- Surface corrosion was also noted on several relief valves along with widespread pigeon guano. A cleaning regime should be considered across all relief valves to prevent further corrosion.
Sutro offers drone inspection services for a wide range of businesses. We are trusted by companies throughout the UK and Europe because we have the expertise and equipment to deliver industry-leading inspections.
Whether you need a single drone inspection or a full aerial survey, call us today