Texo Drone Survey and Inspection (Texo DSI), the owner/operator of a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) announced on 30 May that it has carried out the first internal UAV inspection of a live nuclear asset.
Texo DSI was commissioned by enrichment company Urenco UK to carry out an internal inspection of one of its processing plants for fire compartmentation checks.
The internal Remotely Piloted Aircraft System was deployed into the wall and ceiling voids to inspect the structure. Its high definition visual and thermal cameras, with 0.2mm per pixel resolution, allowed detailed examination of the structural fabric of the building. It is believed to be the first internal inspection of an active uranium enrichment plant and has saved Urenco UK substantial costs over traditional access methods by not having to build manual access systems across the entire building.
Urenco UK Managing Director Martin Pearson described it as “ground-breaking”. He said: “Not only has it saved on traditional access costs it also reduces the obvious working at height risks that come with that."
He added: “It has taken about nine months to get to this place from a risk point of view so those of us involved in this project can see the value going forward.”
Photo: Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (Credit: Texo DSI)
