Inspect & serve: Autonomous drone solutions for inspection operations
Following an announcement regarding new autonomous capabilities, Louise Davis speaks with a pioneer of the drone-based solutions that are transforming oil and gas inspection operations.
The trend for greater autonomy can be observed throughout the broader engineering industry, and the oil and gas sector is no exception. Whether software-based or in hardware such as robots, autonomous advances can be found on all fronts. The use of drones (instead of humans) to conduct oil and gas inspection tasks is a prime example of autonomy, and one that is being embraced by operators across the world. Now, a leading manufacturer of drones is taking this already impressive level of autonomy a step further.
Flyability recently announced a Smart Return-to-Home (RTH) feature for its flagship Elios 3 drone, a development the Swiss company says is the first step in a long-term commitment to growing the drone’s autonomous capabilities. Detailing the new advance, Stefano Zampieri, product manager, says: “The Smart RTH feature enables Elios 3 pilots to instruct the drone to autonomously return to the take-off point using the shortest return path while dynamically avoiding obstacles. During flight, Smart RTH monitors the drone battery level via a new flight management gauge, informing the pilot when it is time to fly back and maximising the available time for inspections. Smart RTH is initiated via our flight app, Cockpit, and the pilot can retake control at any time.”
Zampieri says that, through this tool, Flyability provides drone pilots with greater peace of mind when flying in challenging environments, giving them more time to focus on the inspection at hand. “They can maximise available flight time without worrying about battery management or the return flight and trust the drone to safely bring itself home,” he comments.
Flyability’s drones are widely used to inspect inaccessible or hazardous locations throughout the oil and gas industry. “The Elios 3 inspection drone finds extensive applications in confined spaces such as storage tanks, insulated assets such as stacks, and even catalytic converters,” Zampieri confirms. “What makes this drone so versatile is its integration of multiple capabilities – including high-accuracy mapping, 4K video recording, radiation sensing, radiometric thermal imaging and ultrasonic thickness measurements.”
REFINED THINKING
When prompted for a real-world example of how the company’s drones are being used, Zampieri recalls a recent project involving a large refinery in Italy. The inspection challenge here focused on performing ultrasonic thickness measurements in a 22m diameter spherical tank. “Using our drone solution, we successfully completed 350 measurements in just a single day, which fulfilled the entire inspection scope for this particular sphere,” Zampieri reveals. He adds that, “What made this application especially suitable for our technology was that the spherical tank was insulated, making exterior measurements impossible and requiring interior access for accurate data collection. Traditional methods would have required elaborate scaffolding, which is particularly complicated and time-consuming to install within a spherical tank due to its geometry.”
And on the cost front? “The company saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by avoiding the scaffolding costs alone,” confirms Zampieri. “Additionally, the facility gained at least a week of operational time by eliminating the extended downtime that would have been necessary for scaffolding installation, inspection and dismantling.”
The operational benefits that drones deliver is what makes them particularly attractive for oil and gas operators, in part due to the sector’s low tolerance for any wasted time. On this, Zampieri comments: “Drones offer exceptional flexibility, as they can be deployed within minutes and transported easily across facilities or between sites. This stands in stark contrast to traditional inspection methods requiring cherry pickers or scaffolding, which involve complex logistics, transportation challenges, and time-consuming setups. This rapid deployment capability translates directly to reduced downtime and faster decision-making.”
He also observes that drones offer considerable operational efficiencies and cost savings. “The financial comparison is straightforward: is it more economical to deploy a drone or construct thousands of Euros’ worth of scaffolding? The answer is evident in most scenarios,” he emphasises.
Zampieri adds that another operational advantage comes from the development of interchangeable payloads for the Elios 3. “This modular approach eliminates the need to maintain and transport 10 different inspection tools. With a single drone platform capable of accommodating various sensors and measurement devices, companies benefit from reduced equipment inventory, simplified training requirements and streamlined inspection processes,” he explains.
Finally, it would be remiss not to highlight most obvious benefit of using drones: improved safety. “Drones eliminate the need for work at height and entering confined spaces, two of the highest-risk activities in industrial settings,” Zampieri notes. “For added safety, Elios 3 is equipped with a lower explosive limit (LEL) gas sensor, providing an additional layer of protection in case operations don’t proceed as planned. From an insurance perspective, there’s a compelling case for mandating robotics for all inspections based on these clear safety benefits.”
ATEX ADVERSITY
One key challenge for drones being used in the oil and gas industry is that they are frequently required to operate in ATEX environments. Describing this issue, Zampieri explains: “Developing a fully ATEX-certified drone with existing available technology is nearly impossible, and even if technically feasible, would require monumental investment. However, some customers have developed practical approaches for Class 1/Division 2 (or ATEX Zone 2) areas. With appropriate mitigations in place and using the Elios 3’s integrated LEL gas sensor, it is possible to conduct flights safely. The authorisation to perform such inspections ultimately depends on each refinery’s safety department protocols, but we’ve seen customers successfully implement these solutions at multiple facilities.”