Regular inspections are essential to operations across various industries; inspections help to Identify potential issues before they cause operations downtime, boost operational efficiency, and track project progress. They also help to evaluate issues based on their likely impact.
Traditional inspection methods, which rely on visual checks by human inspectors, pose significant risks and are often time-consuming. Drone inspections are a faster, safer, and more cost-effective alternative.
In this article, we will discuss drone inspections in Nigeria, their benefits, usage, and what you need to help you choose the right drone solutions partner in Nigeria.
Drone Inspections: What it is & Why it’s Important
An inspection is a careful examination or scrutiny of an object, structure, or system to evaluate its condition, safety, or compliance with standards. Inspections ensure the safety of personnel and equipment, extend the lifespan of assets, optimize performance and efficiency, and ultimately prevent costly failures and accidents.
Drone inspections involve using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones equipped with high-resolution cameras, sensors, or other technology to perform visual checks and gather data on assets. Drone Inspections are done using the inspector’s naked eyes—called visual inspections—or aided by sensors.
Visual Inspection
As the name suggests, these inspections are done with the human eye. In visual inspection, drones use high-resolution cameras and relay the feedback to the inspector at a remote location for analysis.
An example of visual inspection is the inspection of pipeline external coating for defects, inspections of tank exteriors for corrosion, and inspections of welds for defects like cracks or incomplete fusion.
Visual inspections rely heavily on the inspector’s judgment and experience. As they can detect major surface-level defects and damage, they are usually the first step, preceding a more comprehensive inspection.
Drone Inspections with Sensors
Visual inspections are limited to only what the eyes can see. Visual inspections can’t detect issues not visible to the naked eye, like electrical or thermal anomalies, subsurface defects, gas leaks, and damage to internal structures. In such cases, drones can be fitted with various sensors such as;
- LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging): Drone inspection with LIDAR can accurately measure tank dimensions and volume, monitor tank foundation stability, assess vegetation health and soil erosion, etc.
- Thermal Imaging Cameras: These sensors can detect heat patterns and abnormalities. Drone inspections with thermal imaging cameras can be used in agriculture to monitor crops and identify areas of stress or disease.
Benefits of Drone Inspections
- Safety: Drone inspections make inspections safer, eliminating the need to enter confined spaces. When inspecting tall structures, drones eliminate the need to build scaffolding and the need for the inspector to climb the scaffolding to inspect, thus eliminating the risk of falling for both the workers building the scaffolding and the inspector climbing it. Drones also make inspections safer by preventing personnel exposure to hazardous environments when inspections are needed in areas such as structurally compromised structures, disaster-affected areas, active mining sites, and areas with chemical or radiation exposure.
- Reduced Costs: Drone inspections reduce inspection costs by saving on erecting and dismantling temporary structures like scaffolding for inspections. They also save costs by reducing operational downtime. In many cases, drone inspections can be done alongside live operations.
- Increased Efficiency & Accuracy: Drones can inspect large areas quicker and more effectively than traditional methods. Because they capture high-resolution images and videos, they can help identify potential problems more quickly and allow the inspector to revisit records in case any detail is missed.
- Improved Data Collection & Record Keeping: Drones capture and record vast amounts of data during inspections, and the accumulated data aids in identifying trends over time and quickly identifying anomalies.
Drone Usage Across Various Industries
Oil and Gas
Drone inspection can be used in the oil and gas industry to safely and efficiently carry out inspection tasks such as;
- Pipeline Inspection & Surveillance: Drones can detect leaks, corrosion, erosion, and interference along pipelines, thus reducing the risks of accidents, environmental pollution, and operational downtime.
- Tank Inspection & Leak Detection: Drones can inspect tanks for signs of leaks, corrosion, or damage, ensuring they are structurally sound.
- Flare Stack Inspection: Gas flares burn excess gases and liquids in industrial plants to prevent equipment from overpressurizing; drones can safely inspect flare stacks for blockages and leaks.
- Platform and Rig Inspection: Drones can reach hard-to-access offshore platforms and inspect rigs for structural damage, corrosion, and equipment malfunctions.
- Gas Emission Detection: Drones can accurately detect gas emissions, such as methane (CH4), enabling proactive measures to mitigate environmental hazards and maintain air quality
Agriculture
Drone inspections help to solve some pressing challenges the agriculture industry faces, such as:
- Crop Health Monitoring: Drones with UV sensors can monitor crop health, growth, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies.
- Precision Agriculture: Drones can create detailed maps for pest and weed monitoring, irrigation, and soil erosion management. This, in turn, helps farmers optimize the application of fertilizers, pesticides, water, and any other resources the crops need.
- Livestock Management: Large livestock farms face the challenge of keeping stock of their animals. Drones can assist by monitoring livestock health and identifying potential risks like disease breakouts.
- Irrigation system inspection: Irrigation is essential to agriculture; it ensures plants receive adequate water and nutrients. Drones can inspect irrigation systems for blockages or leaks, ensuring optimal and efficient crop irrigation.
Construction
Drones are used in construction to solve pressing construction issues such as;
- Site Progress Monitoring: In most construction projects, time is usually of the essence, and efforts are made to minimize delays. Drones can capture high-resolution images and videos, helping to track and record progress and quickly identify and eliminate delays.
- Structural Inspection: Drones can inspect structures while still under construction or finished for signs of defects or damage. These inspections are crucial for maintaining asset structural integrity and also save money that would have been spent on scaffolding.
- Safety Monitoring: Drones can monitor safety compliance on a job site and quickly identify safety hazards.
Factors to Consider When Selecting a Drone Inspection Partner
Having seen the importance of drone inspections, you should consider incorporating drone inspection services into your operations. When choosing a drone inspection partner, these are the factors you should consider:
- Expertise & Experience: Drone inspection is a highly specialized service. Look for partners with industry-specific expertise and check their track records. Check the technical knowledge of the team operating the drones required for the inspection. It’s also important to check the qualifications of the pilots and other team members.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure the drone inspection partner is duly certified by the NCAA, the office of NSA and other relevant regulatory bodies and adheres strictly to Industry best practices and all the regulations stated by the authorities.
- Data Management & Analysis: Drone inspections typically accumulate a lot of data. Confirm the team’s ability to capture, process, and analyze the captured data to draw meaningful insights. Also, inquire about the protocols for ensuring data privacy and protecting sensitive inspection data.
- Constant Pilot Training, Licenses, and Certification: A culture of continuous training and certification of pilots is essential for a successful outcome of any inspection project. It is also important to partner with a company that has the required licenses and is updated with industry advancements and regulatory changes.
Conclusion
As discussed in this post, drone inspections are changing how inspections are conducted in Nigeria. The ability to perform inspections without putting personnel at risk, significant cost savings, and improved data accuracy make drone inspections the preferred choice for industry leaders.
Need Drone Inspection Service? Contact us today. ARCO Worldwide Service is the leading drone inspection service provider in Nigeria –
- Our team consists of over 40 NCAA-certified pilots, all equipped with dual licenses for both manned and unmanned aviation
- We are certified by the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)
- 7000+ hours in BVLOS operations, the highest in the country
- We have the largest fleet of drones
- We’ve worked with Industry leaders across Nigeria
- Conducted 1st ever drone light display show
- Valid Remote Operators Certificate (ROC) & NSA Authorization Letter
To learn more about our services or to schedule a consultation, please contact us.