Last week we took a closer look at the SkySkopes and Sharper Shape project that uses drones in high-voltage line installation. We also explained that this approach cuts costs and minimizes risks for the amazing technical-pilot team aboard a helicopter. Now we return to the topic with a brave worker who installs spacers on lines carrying 765,000 volts, hanging from a helicopter.
It's inevitable to complain when the power goes out, and believe me, I experience that quite often (the energy distribution here is a disaster). Sometimes these interruptions are accompanied by "the fall of a high-tension line," caused either by harsh weather or by more specific reasons (accident, sabotage, etc.). Recently we saw part of the work required to install new lines using drones, but the rest of the operations demand the direct intervention of qualified personnel—a helicopter pilot and a technician seated on an external platform, plus all the tools they need.
After watching the video, the first thing that comes to many of our minds (including mine) is "no sum of money is large enough." But let's look at some details. The rod the technician uses to make contact with the cable is intended to equalize the voltage between the cable, the technician, the tools, the pilot, and the helicopter. In simple terms, the helicopter doesn't gain charge; it becomes part of the line. The clamp only complements the rod (which rests on the cable), and installing the spacer takes about 45 seconds. At the end, the technician removes the clamp and maintains contact between the rod and the cable until the helicopter moves away, forming an arc at the tip. It's worth noting that all four cables share the same phase.
Removing the old spacer (with a spring-based design and marked by rust) is even faster, taking only 15 or 16 seconds. The video was uploaded to YouTube in February 2013 (yes, it's half a decade old, but it looks like it was filmed yesterday). We can also find other clips showing installers devices to reduce the temperature of joints and aerial markers. In all cases, the pilots' skill (flying with a margin of error of just a few centimeters) and the technicians' expertise are impressive. Besides working with hundreds of thousands of volts, they also battle the wind. Up there, mistakes are paid dearly.
