Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
MARITIME TECHNOLOGY<br />
DNV GL<br />
excels in drone surveying<br />
by Ralph Becker<br />
Manager Business Development Maritime - Middle East<br />
DNV GL - Region South East Europe & Middle East<br />
DNV GL surveyors have used a remotely piloted drone to inspect cargo holds on<br />
commercial vessels and Jack up Rigs. DNV GL is currently the only classification society<br />
offering official drone surveys that are credited as close up surveys<br />
The inspection of ship tanks and holds can be a costly,<br />
time consuming and potentially dangerous operation. The<br />
condition of the coating, corrosion, damages, piping, access<br />
points, equipment and safety systems all must be assessed on<br />
a regular basis. Using drones to visually check the condition<br />
of remote structural components has the potential to<br />
significantly reduce survey times and staging costs, while<br />
at the same time improving safety for the surveyors.<br />
In 2016, DNV GL carried out the first production surveys<br />
using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone. Using<br />
drones to check the condition of ship tanks or jackup legs<br />
and can significantly reduce survey times and staging costs,<br />
avoid damage to the tank coating and improve safety for<br />
the surveyors. The surveys use a camera-equipped drone<br />
to visually evaluate structural components through video<br />
streamed to a tablet. Equipped with a powerful headlight,<br />
the drones are able to produce video of sufficient quality<br />
for initial inspection purposes.<br />
Major advantages of using drones<br />
“The advantage of using a drone over conventional staging<br />
inside the tank is absolutely clear,” says Jochen Huhn, Marine<br />
Superintendent and Chief Security Officer, Carl Büttner<br />
Shipmanagement GmbH, whose vessel MV Apollo was<br />
the first to have an official production survey. “Eliminating<br />
the risk of damage to the coating from staging means the<br />
drone survey is worth it, even before we factor in the time<br />
saved by this method. We were also all very imp<strong>res</strong>sed by<br />
the quality of the video and the details the drone was able<br />
to obtain in the inspection. We would certainly be inte<strong>res</strong>ted<br />
in using this method more in the future and I am inte<strong>res</strong>ted<br />
to see how the technology develops over the next few years.”<br />
“The success of the first drone production survey performed<br />
by a classification society shows how our investment in<br />
developing modern class solutions to benefit our customers is<br />
paying off,” says Ralph Becker, DNV GL’s Head of Business<br />
Development Maritime for the Middle East. “Over the<br />
next few years we will continue to work on expanding the<br />
44 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2017
Change language