Huaian, Jiangsu: Helicopter Live-Line Operation to Repair Broken Ground Wires

On September 14, under the guidance of State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd., State Grid Huai’an Power Supply Company, in coordination with State Grid Electric Power Space Technology Company Ltd., carried out a helicopter live-line operation to successfully repair three sections of broken ground wires on the 500 kV Yishang Line.

Helicopter Operation Site

During a drone inspection of overhead power lines, the operation and maintenance staff of State Grid Huai’an Power Supply Company discovered broken ground wires on the 500 kV Yishang 5251 Line. If not addressed promptly, this could jeopardize the safe operation of the power grid.

Helicopter Operation Site

For this task, the helicopter suspension chair method was adopted. A 20-meter insulated sling rope with a suspension chair was hung beneath the helicopter. One power worker, wearing a full-body insulated protective suit, was precisely delivered to the defect point to perform live-line repairs. The entire work, which would normally take 5 hours using traditional methods, was completed in just 1 hour, ensuring the safe and reliable power supply.

(Text/Photos by Wang Lei, Yang Mu, and Yong Chengli)