Electric Utilities Digital Twin Software Solution

Overview

Inspection of electric utility transmission towers and substations is a critical component of maintaining the reliability and safety of electrical power systems. The process of inspection involves thoroughly examining the equipment to ensure that it is in good working condition and operating within its design limits. This process helps to identify any potential problems or issues with the equipment, such as damage, wear and tear, or malfunction, which, if left unaddressed, can lead to equipment failure and outages. Regular inspections help to reduce the risk of equipment failure, ensuring the continued reliability of the power system and ensuring the safety of technicians and the public.

Need

The majority of inspections are carried out by trained technicians who physically inspect the equipment. The technicians visually inspect the towers and substations for any signs of damage, wear and tear, or malfunction, and record the findings in a report. While this method is still widely used, it has several drawbacks such as the need for technicians to physically access the equipment, which can be challenging and even dangerous, and the lack of real-time data collection, which makes it difficult to track changes over time.

Business Value

vHive's Digital Twin platform uses AI and Machine Learning to derive all important asset insights from the digital data acquired by autonomous drone surveys.

Cost and time reduction

Decrease field and travel time
Decrease number people required per inspection
Reduce the time required to complete inspections (office work)

Digital portfolio

One comprehensive view of all assets
Fully digitize and document your site and assets, compare results over time and monitor performance against plan or requirements
Improve accuracy of inspection reports

Improve workforce safety

Empowering field personnel to use drones eliminates the need for physically accessing the equipment and costs associated with risky access

vHive's End to End Solution

Plan

Define your survey type and location

Execute

Launch a fully autonomous survey
with a click of a button using vHive's field application, while keeping safe

Process

vHive digital twin software
will automatically process your survey
data and generate digital twins of
your electric utilities assets

Analyze

All asset models are analyzed
according to your business
needs based on vHive’s AI and
machine learning capabilities

Collaborate

Data insights shared with your
peers through annotations and
reports, shortens time to insights

Insights

Upon insights presented
update/ repair/ monitor
your electric utilities assets

Key Use Cases

Condition assessment

Locating signs of damage, wear and tear or malfunctions on your transmission towers and substations can be used to plan and execute preventative maintenance activities.

Operations

Building the substation and transmission towers in the field, tracking construction progress, followed by the operational performance of the assets.

Monitoring and trending

Monitor and trend the performance of the equipment over time. The digital data can assist in identifying patterns which can lead to potential issues before they become critical.