Electronic airborne inspection method for overhead transmission power-lines

Overhead transmission power lines are the most cost effective and frequently used carriers for electric energy. Exposure to environment accelerates deterioration, originating small failures, some of them, if not timely detected and repaired, to become serious problems with time. Electric utilities, seriously motivated to drop maintenance costs, under growing demand for reliable energy supply, run inspection programs to locate, follow-up and repair any significant failures at earliest possible stage. This paper lists briefly the inspection methods in practice, focuses on the electronic approach and discusses the concept of a completely stand alone, airborne, electronic method, expected on the market in the near future.<>