Drone UV Camera for Partial Corona Discharge detection

The drone-based UV camera for partial corona discharge detection is a tool used for detecting ultraviolet radiation. Corona discharge is a localized discharge phenomenon that occurs when the localized voltage stress on a charged object exceeds a critical value, causing air ionization and producing corona discharge. High-voltage power equipment is especially prone to corona, flashover, or arc discharge due to poor design, manufacturing, installation, or maintenance. During the discharge process, electrons in the air constantly gain and release energy. When electrons release energy (i.e., during discharge), UV light is emitted. UV cameras mounted on drones detect potential issues on power lines by capturing these ultraviolet emissions.

II. Application Advantages

1. Wide Detection Range: UV cameras on drones can detect UV radiation in the spectral range of 240–280 nm. This allows effective identification of corona discharge-related defects caused by abnormal voltage intensity, such as contamination, damage, looseness, sharp edges, improper installation, missing components, and low-value anomalies.
2. Unaffected by Sunlight: Unlike infrared detection, UV detection is not impacted by sunlight, enabling full-day inspections and improving detection accuracy and efficiency.
3. Long Detection Distance: UV cameras on drones have a detection range of up to 500 meters, significantly farther than infrared detection, allowing inspection personnel to operate from a safer distance.
4. High Adaptability: Drone-based UV camera corona partial discharge is more suitable for power line inspections under high humidity, low pressure, and high-temperature conditions, as it is less constrained by weather conditions.
5. Dual-Mode Imaging: The inspection process uses a solar-blind filter combined with a UV detector to accurately display UV images, capturing corona and electrical discharge phenomena. When overlaid with visible light images, this allows inspectors to visually locate the affected area, identify the corona location, and evaluate multiple potential causes of corona discharge.
6. High Sensitivity: Using high-precision image fusion algorithms, the system can accurately locate corona, arc, and partial discharge points, producing clear images of detected issues.

With the continuous advancement of drone technology and the development of the power industry, UV camera drones have vast potential for power line inspections. Drone-based UV camera partial corona discharge detection leverage intelligent planning, autonomous flight, smart fault recognition and alerting, and automated unmanned operations to deliver efficient, safe, and real-time inspections of power transmission lines, substations, and other power facilities. These systems can automatically carry out inspection tasks, reducing manpower requirements, and are especially advantageous for inspecting remote and rugged areas.

Our DJI SDK payload UV corona camera is designed for daylight corona discharge detection and partial discharge (PD) screening in utility-grade inspections. It supports DJI enterprise platforms including DJI Matrice 300 (M300) and Matrice 350 (M350) for proven power line workflows, and it also scales to the newer Matrice 400 (M400) for higher-end inspection missions. Learn more about our DJI M350 UV camera and DJI M400 UV camera payload solutions.