The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently tested the Elios 2 drone for inspecting a scrubber at one of its power plants, and the results were impressive. The use of the drone not only improved safety but also drastically reduced the time required for the inspection.
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Safety Traditional scrubber inspections require workers to climb scaffolding that reaches up to 80 feet high, posing serious safety risks. By using a drone, TVA personnel could avoid these dangerous heights entirely, significantly reducing the risk of falls and injuries. |
Speed A manual scrubber inspection typically takes around 480 hours. With the Elios 2, TVA completed the same task in just 10 hours, cutting inspection time by 98%—a savings of 470 work hours. |
Improved Maintenance Drones allow TVA to collect visual data without setting up scaffolding, making it easier to perform quick spot checks for leaks or other issues. This improves maintenance efficiency and helps identify problems early before they escalate. |
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is the largest public power provider in the United States. It serves over 10 million people across seven southeastern states through 153 local power companies and large industrial customers. Since its founding in 1933, the TVA has focused on innovation, aiming to reduce costs while enhancing employee safety and operational efficiency.
As part of its ongoing commitment to improvement, the TVA has been exploring the use of drone technology for various applications, including inspections, to make its operations safer and more efficient.
Scrubbers, formally known as flue gas desulfurization (FGD) units, are essential in coal-fired power plants. They remove sulfur dioxide (SO2) from exhaust gases using a limestone slurry, helping to reduce harmful emissions.
TVA's scrubbers are massive structures, often described as cavernous spaces, with spray headers inside that need regular inspection. Traditionally, this involved erecting scaffolding up to 80 feet high, which posed significant safety risks due to the potential for falls and confined space hazards.
This made scrubber inspections an ideal candidate for testing drone technology, offering a safer and faster alternative for visual data collection.
James Manni, the UAS Program Manager at TVA, decided to test the Elios 2 drone for inspecting the Unit 2 scrubber modules at the Cumberland Fossil Plant. The Elios 2 was chosen because of its unique design—it’s enclosed in a protective cage, allowing it to navigate tight and complex environments without losing control.
The drone was used to inspect the Unit 2 scrubber, which stands over 100 feet tall and 60 feet wide. The goal was to see if the drone could collect visual data efficiently and safely, reducing the need for scaffolding and minimizing worker exposure to hazardous conditions.
During the first flight, the team discovered a maintenance issue in one of the spray headers, which was quickly resolved. The rest of the inspection was completed in about 10 hours, with no scaffolding required.
The test was a success, proving that drones can be an effective tool for scrubber inspections. Not only did the process become much faster, but it also eliminated the need for dangerous scaffolding setups.
After completing the inspection of Unit 2, the TVA team used the Elios 2 again to locate a fluid leak in Unit 1. Instead of draining the entire scrubber and setting up scaffolding, the drone flew directly to the source, saving both time and resources.
Watch the video to see what the drone captured during the mission:
The biggest advantage of using the Elios 2 was safety. No workers had to climb scaffolding, eliminating the risk of falls and exposure to confined spaces. Additionally, the drone made the inspection process much quicker—saving over 470 hours of labor.
Traditionally, a manual inspection would take 480 hours: 450 hours to set up and dismantle scaffolding, plus 30 hours for the actual inspection. With the drone, the same job was done in just 10 hours, making it 98% faster.
This shift not only improves efficiency but also allows the TVA to respond more quickly to potential issues, ensuring smoother operations and fewer disruptions.
Since the successful test in Units 1 and 2, James Manni has continued using the Elios 2 during routine maintenance outages. The drone has proven to be a reliable tool for identifying leaks and other issues quickly.
As the TVA continues to expand its drone program, it plans to apply this technology to other areas beyond scrubber inspections. The flexibility and speed of drones make them an attractive solution for future maintenance and monitoring tasks.
With the ability to conduct spot checks rapidly and safely, the use of drones is likely to become a standard practice within the TVA, further improving efficiency and worker safety across its operations.
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