Helicopter Live-line Patrols Safeguard Energy Transmission 'Arteries'

Recently, State Grid Huzhou Power Supply Company, in collaboration with State Grid Electric Power Space Technology Co., Ltd., conducted live-line helicopter operations on the ±500kV Yihua Line and Genan Line transmission corridors to ensure reliable power supply for energy transmission during the peak summer period.

Since the beginning of summer, residential electricity demand has surged, pushing the energy and power supply into a critical phase. The Huzhou area, a vital conduit for major energy arteries of  power transmissions from the western China, the Three Gorges, and Anhui to the east of China, hosts 12 ultra-high voltage and inter-provincial direct current lines. Within the ultra-high voltage Huzhou corridor, there are 8 important transmission lines with a rated transmission capacity of 29.8 million kilowatts. Among them, the ±500kV Genan Line is an important transmission channel, starting from the Gezhouba Dam Converter Station and ending at the Nanqiao Converter Station, with a total length of 1113.907 kilometers. It is the energy artery for the external transmission of Three Gorges power and the west-to-east power transmission.

Helicopter Transports Live-line Workers to Ultra-high Voltage Power Lines Maintenance Points

"In the preliminary stage, through fixed-wing drone inspection of the ±500kV Yihua Line and Genan Line, we found multiple potential hazards. To ensure the safe and stable operation of the inter-regional power grid during the peak summer period, we decided to use the helicopter winch chair method. We will conduct live-line work using different methods for different types of defects to ensure that the power lines are in healthy conditions," Yue Lingping, Deputy Director of the Operation and Maintenance Department of State Grid Huzhou Power Supply Company, introduced. 

It is reported that compared to traditional methods, helicopter live-line operation has the advantages of safety, reliability, flexibility, and independence from terrain constraints. It greatly saves the physical energy consumption of workers, reduces the risks of high-altitude work, and increases work efficiency by more than 80 percent.

Beyond helicopter live-line operation on ultra-high voltage transmission lines, State Grid Huzhou Power Supply Company is also actively exploring the use of fixed-wing drones for corridor inspection, X-ray robot detection, digital twin, satellite remote sensing monitoring, visual intelligent recognition, and other technical means. They are building a new operation and maintenance mode of "three-dimensional inspection + centralized monitoring" for important transmission channels, continuously promoting the typical application of high-tech in ultra-high voltage operation and maintenance, live-line operation, emergency response, and other scenarios, ensuring the safe and stable operation of the power grid during the peak summer period, so that people can spend their summer cool and cozy. (Written by Yang Chen, Xu Yu, Bai Yiru, and Yao Yuxia)