Thyssengas has launched a project to monitor high pressure gas pipelines using lightweight autonomous Microdrones to complement its existing helicopter runs.
The more or less independently operating drones – so-called quadrocopters – are equipped with special optical devices, which can quickly uncover possible external effects or impacts on the gas pipeline. This pilot project is concerned above all with analysing and detecting threats, such as construction equipment.
The system can also be used for surveying new building works or renovations. Compared to conventional pipeline runs by helicopter, the drones excel with their environmental friendliness and low noise emissions: They emit no CO2 and are ultra-silent in flight. They also offer a cost-efficient approach to monitoring pipelines from the air.