Sector: Power Generation
CYBERHAWK COMPLETES FIRST PROJECT IN TURKEY
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeOur two man team, which comprised an industry qualified inspection engineer and an experienced turbine UAV pilot, mobilised to inspect 23 of the oldest turbines in the fleet to determine the levels of damage and asset integrity. Turbines in these particular sites require regular inspection as the region is subject to frequent storms and lightning strikes, therefore up-to-date condition assessments are crucial.


During the limited time that the turbines were taken out of operation, competent technicians (CT) were able to access the nacelle and hub while the drone inspections were being carried out. This allowed the CTs to make effective use of the turbine downtime to conduct required checks and other minor works. The advantages of using a drone for this inspection campaign include: Lower risk than traditional rope access inspection – avoiding the need to climb up and down the turbines whilst attached to ropes, and extended periods of working at height Non-contact – using an experienced drone pilot meant any potential contact with the blades was avoided, therefore removing the risk of damage Less downtime – the speed of inspection meant that turbine downtime was minimised, and the full inspection campaign could be completed quicker than using rope access.
DECOMMISSIONING ASSET INSPECTION FOR KINSALE ENERGY IN IRELAND
Cyberhawk, the global leader in visual asset management using drone collected data, has completed its first offshore oil and gas work in Ireland for Kinsale Energy.
HOW MUCH DETAIL CAN A DRONE REALLY CAPTURE?
Sector
Power GenerationService
iHawkRegion
EuropeMany wind turbine owners, operators and OEMs new to the world of UAV inspection are dubious about the accuracy and quality of data that can be achieved through this solution. We could tell you all about how we can size defects down to +/- 5mm accuracy, or position the defects to a few centimetres from the root and leading edge, but we thought a real-life example would be more interesting….


The interesting part, however, is that our UAV inspection identified a crack on the trailing edge of one blade which the inspection using a ground camera failed to pick up. Trailing edge cracks can be difficult to see and if not detected and monitored from an early stage, can become progressively worse, leading to structural damage and costly repairs.
In a recent project for a major OEM, Cyberhawk was tasked with inspecting blades at an onshore wind farm in the UK. The OEM was keen to compare our drone captured data to that from their traditional ground camera solution. Despite 25 knot (12.8m/s) wind speeds, our team mobilised to site and conducted the inspection in just a few minutes.
CYBERHAWK CONDUCTS FIRST INSPECTION IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
As part of a client’s ongoing fabric maintenance campaign, Cyberhawk was appointed to conduct a detailed inspection of four offshore vents and two onshore flares.
CYBERHAWK CONDUCTS GENSIP COMPLIANT INSPECTION OF THERMAL POWER STATION
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeLike many other thermal power operators, it conducts these inspections to the GENSIP Roofing & Cladding standard. This categorises the condition of area such as wall classing, patent glazing, curtain walling and roof decks. The standard looks to identify if these areas are intact or cracked, bent, corroded, broken, rotten or missing. The inspection findings must also be prioritised by severity of the defect to allow effective maintenance planning. For instance, does the defect present a remote risk, a possible risk, or a potentially hazardous event occurring in the next year, next few years or next 10 years.


The client approached Cyberhawk as it was looking for an alternative, non-intrusive inspection technique which could examine the building’s cladding and roofing and identify areas of corrosion, damage and potential detachment. This inspection was to meet the criteria set out by the GENSIP standard. Cyberhawk mobilised a UAV pilot and inspection engineer to site, who took just one day to conduct inspections of the external roof area and specific sections on the internal roof structure.
This type of inspection would traditionally be undertaken using a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP). The use of MEWPs requires close risk management, however; the HSE states that risks include entrapment, overturning, falling and collision.
OVER 350 RISERS ON 63 OFFSHORE PLATFORMS INSPECTED IN A MONTH FOR DUBAI PETROLEUM USING UAVS
As part of a framework agreement with major oil and gas operator Dubai Petroleum, Cyberhawk was appointed to inspect more than 350 risers on 63 offshore platforms. The inspection took only one month to complete, followed by the production of over 90 detailed engineering inspection reports.
WORLD FIRST ASME CODE INSPECTION AT A US NUCLEAR PLANT
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
North AmericaAlthough drones have previously been utilised in the nuclear industry this was the first time a drone has been used by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) according to the Section XI Code. The Code refers to several American Concrete Institute standards for completing an examination and this inspection has been recognised within the nuclear industry as a best practice based on these standards. Cyberhawk has built a strong reputation for conducting UAV structural inspections in hazardous industrial environments, where safety is paramount, which saw the team become the preferred provider for this challenging scope of work. UAV inspection was also favoured to provide accurate data as it meant minimal risk to personnel, versus the working at height issues associated with conventional inspection and access techniques.


Moreover, the level of detail obtainable from traditional inspection methods is nowhere near what was achieved with UAV technology, capturing images of 100% of the dome surface to the ASME code standard with the results digitised into a 3D point cloud, that will allow direct digital comparison for any future inspections. Work was completed quickly, efficiently and according to the ASME code examination requirements, with an experienced pilot and inspection engineer working around the plant’s scheduled projects, without causing any interference. Furthermore, the magnetic interference of the nuclear plant meant that GPS signal was non-existent, so the whole project had to be flown by the pilot completely manually to conduct a safe inspection.
The alternative method of inspection would have involved using a man basket with a huge crane, which could take up to a week just to set up. In contrast, it took just one week for Cyberhawk to inspect both domes using UAVs, and generated cost savings of 300%.
INTERNAL INSPECTION OF 14 CARGO OIL TANKS IN USA
Cyberhawk was tasked by an oil and gas supermajor to carry out full internal inspections of 12 cargo oil tanks (COT) and two slop tanks, situated on tankers travelling between Alaska and Los Angeles, using data collected with drones.
CLYDE WINDFARM INSPECTION FOR SIEMENS GAMESA
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeThe work included close visual inspections of the leading edge, training edge, pressure and suction sides of each blade, capturing a complete visual record of each blade.


Cyberhawk mobilised a two-man team to undertake the UAV inspections. Traditionally, the inspections would have been carried out using rope access technicians, however this technique would have doubled man hours on site and involves working at height. Building on other recently completed inspections for Siemens Gamesa, Cyberhawk developed a tailored app to meet the client’s requirements. The requirement was a 25% overlap between images and no missing areas of the blade with processing and uploading on the same day as the inspection.
OFFSHORE WIND FARM INSPECTION FOR SIEMENS GAMESA
Cyberhawk was tasked by leading offshore wind turbine manufacturer, Siemens Gamesa, to carry out close visual inspections of an offshore wind farm in September 2017. Cyberhawk was chosen due to our framework agreement with the company, as well as our previous experience in successfully inspecting offshore structure and high-quality imagery captured.
OFFSHORE WIND FARM INSPECTION FOR SIEMENS GAMESA
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeThe brief included the close visual inspection of 27 turbines, capturing a complete visual record of the leading edge, training edge, pressure and suction sides of each blade. Traditionally, the inspections would have been carried out using rope access technicians, however this technique would have significantly increased man hours on site and involves working at height.



Cyberhawk was tasked by leading offshore wind turbine manufacturer, Siemens Gamesa, to carry out close visual inspections of an offshore wind farm in September 2017. Cyberhawk was chosen due to our framework agreement with the company, as well as our previous experience in successfully inspecting offshore structure and high-quality imagery captured.
Cyberhawk mobilised a two-man team to undertake the UAV inspections, completing the entire turbine inspection in a handful of days. The use of UAVs mitigated the risks of working at height and meant reduced downtime and lost production for the client.
CABLE ROUTE SURVEY AT A COASTAL EROSION SITE USING UAVS
Cyberhawk conducted an aerial survey of a coastal erosion site covering over 700m on the East coast of England.
NORTHERN SCOTLAND WIND FARM SURVEY
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeWe were chosen to conduct this workscope thanks to our significant experience working for the world’s largest energy companies and experience of working in challenging environments, using UAVs to quickly acquire geospatial data in remote areas. Our unrivalled experience in aerial data acquisition and processing gave our client confidence that the survey results would be of the highest quality.


Using one of our fixed-wing UAV, with onboard RTK GPS positioning, we completed the full site survey in two days – a traditional ground-based survey may have taken over two weeks to complete. In addition to topographic data, we also provided high resolution orthophoto imagery with 3cm per pixel ground resolution.
Cyberhawk deployed a two-man survey team, comprised of a land surveyor and an experienced pilot, to survey a 230-hectare site of boggy moorland. Access on foot for a traditional land survey team would have been difficult and potentially hazardous, however aerial survey meant only limited ground access was required.
SAUDI ARABIA – LIVE FLARE INSPECTION
Cyberhawk recently completed an onshore inspection project at an oil and gas refinery in Saudi Arabia. The workscope involved the close visual inspection of a flare tip and supporting structure.
CYBERHAWK INSPECTS UK’S LARGEST CHIMNEY STACK
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeConstructed in 1969 to withstand hurricane-force winds, the chimney stands 259 metres tall. At the time of construction, it was the largest industrial chimney in the world. It was essential for both chimneys to remain online throughout the inspections, meaning Cyberhawk was required to work onsite while the power station was fully operational, and around other day-to-day activities taking place on site.


Alternative methods for carrying out this scope of work, such as rope access, elevated cradles or scaffolding, would have taken weeks to complete the inspections and even longer when their erection and dismantling was included.
The two-man team, consisting of an experienced pilot and a certified inspector engineer, had to select specific flight positions to inspect the full circumference of the chimneys. The team also had to follow strict VLOS (visual line of site) protocols, which meant that whilst flying, the pilot had to remain in sight of the drone.
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CHIMNEY INSPECTION IN WASHINGTON STATE, US
In April 2017, Cyberhawk completed an internal and external inspection of a 250ft stack at a refinery in Washington State, US.
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CHIMNEY INSPECTION IN WASHINGTON STATE, US
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
North AmericaDuring the inspection, the stack’s downstream system was offline and open to the environment during turnaround maintenance activities. This allowed air ingress into the stack, creating vortexes inside the confined space, creating a very challenging environment in which to fly the drone. Furthermore low light, and the added challenge of zero GPS signal inside the stack, meant Cyberhawk’s pilots had to work with an extremely high level of precision during the inspection to ensure a successful end result.



Traditionally, this type of inspection is conducted using a manned basket attached to a large mobile crane, with a technician in the basket lowered into the internal part of the stack. Using this method would have incurred significantly higher costs. In addition, the crane would restrict other work activities in the refinery during a turnaround, creating a negative impact on timescales and potentially extending the shutdown.
UAVs were chosen as the preferred method of inspection primarily to reduce safety risk posed to personnel working at height, as well as the challenges associated with working in confined spaces.
COOLING TOWER INSPECTIONS FOR DRAX POWER STATION
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeIt was essential for the cooling towers to remain operational throughout the inspections, meaning Cyberhawk was required to work onsite while the power station was fully operational and in conjunction with other operational activities on site.


Alternate methods for carrying out this scope of work, such as rope access, elevated cradles or scaffolding, would have taken weeks to complete the inspections, and even longer when their erection and dismantling was included. Cyberhawk’s solution not only mitigated the risks associated with this method, such as working at height, but reduced the inspection times. Normal timescales for this scope of work would be ten days per tower, however Cyberhawk carried out the inspections in just two days. A number of defects highlighted meant the company became aware that structural repairs were required and so had adequate data to outsource this work to a third-party provider.
Cyberhawk was called upon to inspect 12 cooling towers at Drax Power Station, in northern England, the second largest coal-fired power station in Europe. The requirement was to provide a detailed inspection of the external concrete shell and mantels across all cooling towers.
INTERNAL & EXTERNAL CHIMNEY INSPECTION IN AUSTRALIA
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
AustraliaCyberhawk was asked by a major operator in Australia to conduct an internal and external visual and thermal inspection of a chimney stack at its nickel production plant. This project was the world’s first combined internal and external inspection of a stack using UAVs and the highest stack that has ever been inspected internally using a drone at approximately 426ft (130m), with the previous record being 400ft (100m) in Europe.


The inspection, which was completed in late 2016, was needed to identify any remedial works required to the stack during a scheduled outage in 2017. Analysis of Cyberhawk’s detailed inspection report, meant any actions required could be addressed during the shutdown which would allow the stack to continue operating safety to 2038.
The internal inspection and Cyberhawk’s inspection report uncovered a number of significant anomalies that were previously unidentified. Utilising Cyberhawk’s internal and external UAVs meant our engineers were able to assess the complete condition of the asset and resulted in the project being successfully completed.
INTERNAL BOILER INSPECTION AT A THERMAL POWER STATION IN EASTERN EUROPE
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeIn 2016, Cyberhawk completed an internal steam boiler inspection for one of the world’s leading power companies in Bulgaria. UAVs were chosen as the preferred method of inspection primarily to reduce safety risk posed to personnel working at height, as well as the challenges associated with working in confined spaces. Traditionally, this type of inspection is conducted by rope access technicians who are suspended on ropes to inspect the boiler’s internal structure.


Bespoke safety procedures were put in place for this particular project, with Cyberhawk mobilising an experienced three-man UAV team consisting of a UAV pilot, inspection engineer and technician to ensure safe operations and high quality results. This allowed for a quick and safe inspection of the boiler.
The dark boiler environment, and added challenge of zero GPS signal, meant Cyberhawk’s pilots had to work with an extremely high level of precision during the inspection to ensure a successful end result.
COOLING TOWER INSPECTIONS AT EUROPEAN POWER STATION
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeIt was also essential for the cooling towers to stay live throughout the inspections, meaning Cyberhawk was required to work onsite while other maintenance teams were operating.


Alternate methods for carrying out this scope of work, such as rope access, would have taken weeks to complete the actual inspections – even longer when considering set up. Cyberhawk’s solution not only mitigated the risks associated with this method, such as working at height, but reduced the inspection times. Normal timescales for this scope of work would be 10 days per tower, however Cyberhawk carried out the inspections in just two. A number of defects highlighted meant the client became aware that structural repairs were required and so had adequate data to outsource this work to a third party provider.
Cyberhawk was called upon to inspect 12 cooling towers at the largest coal-fired power station in Europe. The requirement was to provide a detailed examination of the exposed external surface and mantle across all cooling towers.
100 TURBINE INSPECTIONS IN SCOTLAND AND IRELAND
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeIn 2015, Cyberhawk was approached by one of the UK’s largest energy suppliers. The brief was to inspect more than 100 wind turbines throughout the company’s Scottish and Irish wind farms, with minimal loss of operational downtime and in timescales that would allow them to meet yearly inspection targets.


Cyberhawk’s asset management software, iHawk, allowed the client to quickly understand the condition of its wind farms and access high definition images of the entire blade surface of every turbine, as well as engineering commentary. These images also allowed the client to see the severity of the defect for themselves, and ultimately prioritise repairs and allocate budgets.
The work included close visual inspections of the leading edge, training edge, pressure and suction sides of each blade. Specific locations and sizing of each defect were essential in order to determine the damage and prioritise the maintenance required.
NORTH ENGLAND POWER STATION SURVEY
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeCyberhawk was commissioned by a major utility company to provide topographic survey data and volumetric analysis at a coal-fired power station in North England. The large site has numerous stockpiles of various sizes and materials which had to be itemized in the volume report.


Cyberhawk’s two-man team of land surveyor and pilot surveyed the site using a fixed-wing UAV. The entire area was surveyed in a single flight with over 400 aerial images acquired. Using advanced photogrammetric techniques we generated an accurate digital elevation model of the site. This allowed Cyberhawk to accurately calculate the volume of each of the stockpiles.
Our rigorous health and safety regime and flight-planning procedures were approved in advance by the site owner and Cyberhawk worked closely with local Air Traffic Control given the close proximity of a major airport.
OFFSHORE WIND TURBINE INSPECTION IN THE IRISH SEA
Cyberhawk was tasked by a leading offshore wind energy company to carry out close visual inspections of its offshore wind turbines in September 2015. Cyberhawk was chosen due to our previous experience in successfully inspecting onshore turbines and our visual asset management software, iHawk.
OFFSHORE WIND TURBINE INSPECTION IN THE IRISH SEA
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeThe brief included the inspection of turbine blades, nacelle, tower and transition piece throughout the client’s farm in the Irish Sea.



Cyberhawk mobilized a two-man team to undertake the UAV inspections, completing the entire turbine inspection in less than half the time a rope access team would take to inspect only the blades.
Traditionally, the inspections would have been carried out using rope access technicians, however this technique increases man hours on site and involves working at height.
FOREWIND DOGGER BANK MET MAST INSPECTION
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeCyberhawk was tasked by Forewind to carry out a repeat drone inspection on the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm metrological (met) masts in April 2016. Cyberhawk was chosen due to our previous experience in successfully inspecting the met masts the previous year.


The scope of work involved working form the back of a vessel to capture detailed images of all the steel lattice members and the nuts and bolts on each flange joint. A detailed inspection report was then completed, allowing the client to quickly and easily understand the condition of their structures.
Dogger Bank is a particularly challenging offshore wind site as it is the furthest offshore wind project from UK shores at approximately 150 kilometres from the coast.
DRAX COOLING TOWER INSPECTION AND SURVEY
In early 2016, Cyberhawk completed an inspection on twelve 100m tall cooling towers at the Drax coal-fired power station near Selby, UK.
DRAX COOLING TOWER INSPECTION AND SURVEY
Sector
Power GenerationRegion
EuropeCyberhawk’s two-man team, consisting of a highly trained UAV pilot and an inspection engineer, provided close visual and thermal UAV inspection of 12 cooling towers at Drax. Cyberhawk created a three dimensional model of each cooling tower to aid the visualization and accurate measurement of defects and to complement a comprehensive inspection report providing detail on the 360o condition of the structure from ground level to the mantle.



Typically, this standard of inspection would be carried out by a team of steeplejacks using cradle access suspended from the top of the cooling tower and would require a period of two to three weeks to complete. Cyberhawk’s team’s experience of working with tall and live assets at power stations saw Cyberhawk emerge as the preferred provider for this complex work scope.