State Grid Zhenjiang Power Supply Company utilizes 'aerial solutions' to boost smart grid inspection

Staff from State Grid Zhenjiang Power Supply Company operated a drone equipped with an X-ray flaw detection device on Nov 24, inspecting hidden defects in tension clamps on the Yangzhong 110-kilovolt Shengdong 7Y6 transmission line. The task, which traditionally takes two hours of manual work, was completed in just 10 minutes. This is a vivid example of how the company is strengthening grid operation and maintenance through digital and intelligent transformation.

Currently, accelerating the coordinated development of digitalization and green transition has become a strategic cornerstone for national energy security. Transmission lines, often described as the "backbone" of the power grid, are a key focus of daily inspection due to the large number of towers and the extensive length of the lines.

"The X-ray flaw detection device mounted on drones has become one of the primary methods for transmission line inspection, mitigating risks such as falls from height and prolonged power outages associated with traditional manual inspections. Leveraging high precision X-ray flaw detection and AI based diagnostic functions, the system automatically identifies various defects in tension clamps, including insufficient compression, under compression, over compression, and aluminum tube bending. This allows our staff to accurately diagnose internal compression defects that are invisible to the naked eye in real time — much like performing a 'CT scan' on transmission lines. Inspection efficiency has increased sixfold," said Ma Junyi, deputy director of the equipment department at the company.

The company's existing drone-based three-dimensional inspection system can reduce the manual inspection workload by up to 80 percent, achieve a real-time diagnostic accuracy rate of over 90 percent, and improve maintenance efficiency for a single transmission line by 85 percent, providing aerial support for the secure operation of the power grid.