State Grid Sichuan Ultra-High Voltage Company

History

2024: Use of robots and drones to remove ice from power lines

At the end of December 2024, it became known that the Chinese company State Grid Sichuan Ultra-High Voltage Company introduced a new system for removing ice from power lines (power lines). Unmanned aerial vehicles and special robots are used to perform this laborious task.

The problem of icing of power lines is relevant for many regions. High humidity and sharp air temperature drops lead to the formation of ice on the wires of overhead lines. The thickness of such a layer can be tens of millimeters, which is why the mass of wires increases many times over. This leads to breaks, as well as deformation and even breakdown of metal supports. It takes a lot of time and money to eliminate such accidents, which turns into significant economic damage. At the same time, settlements and enterprises that receive power from damaged power lines remain de-energized.

𝓲

Фото: Freepik

The system, developed by State Grid Sichuan Ultra-High Voltage Company specialists, involves the use of robots with special ice removal devices. These vehicles are delivered to the power line using a heavy drone. The complex allows you to clean ice from wires with a conductor cross-section of 50 to 300 square millimeters. For this, cutting, impact and rolling methods are used.

The new robot is involved in Xichang (Liangshan-Yi City Autonomous Okrug of Sichuan Province in the PRC). The machine moves efficiently along icy wires, maintaining stability during ice removal. The system is capable of cleaning a line 500 meters long in about 15 minutes. Remote control is supported. The robot is also able to broadcast a video image to the operator's console in real time.^[1]

Notes