State Grid Zhenjiang Power Supply Company Achieves Autonomous UAV Inspection in Indoor Substations

ZHENJIANG, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recently, State Grid Zhenjiang Power Supply Company successfully completed an autonomous inspection of 54 indoor switchgear cabinets in the 110kV Guazhu Substation using a micro-UAV weighing 1.1 kilograms. The entire process took only 10 minutes.

Indoor substations are characterized by their confined spaces and densely packed equipment, making it challenging for conventional intelligent inspection devices, such as cameras and track-based robots, to achieve full coverage. To address this issue, in September this year, State Grid Zhenjiang Power Supply Company assembled a project team to develop an innovative autonomous UAV inspection system tailored for indoor equipment.

This system leverages micro-UAVs, equipped with 3D LiDAR scanning and autonomous driving technologies, to enable autonomous navigation, precise positioning, and agile obstacle avoidance, achieving an efficiency 65% higher than manual inspections. During autonomous inspections, the UAV operates akin to an autonomous vehicle, continuously identifying surrounding obstacles to ensure safe and stable indoor flight. Through contact charging within its docking station, the UAV can achieve 24/7 round-the-clock patrols of the substation.

The successful maiden flight of this autonomous inspection marks a pioneering technical direction for the digital operation and maintenance of local indoor substations, effectively ensuring the safe and stable operation of the power grid.