We had to do some surveying on a High-Voltage unit in the Ardennes, more such work is in the pipeline.
With the liberalization of the electric power market some modifications has to be made at our power grid. We have a triangulation power grid, so if there are failures in one place the power can easily be deviated around the problem.
We first had to renew our safety badge last month, you do a (good) multiple choice test about the dangers and precautions and you'll get a new badge witch remains valid for 2 years. We all passed the test 🙂
So up to the Ardennes near Huy to do some real work in the danger zone.
It's a good 2 hrs drive so we leave early to arrive at 8 o'clock, for safety reasons we'll be at the unit with 2 each working solo.
The high-voltage unit is in operation so we have to remain belowe the +2.5m level!
It does feel strange leaving the paths and walking between the transformers, capacitors and insulators with the constant crackling sound of electricity.
We use our line coding for the line work of the rails and bars, witch we all shoot reflector-less and takes some time aiming under steep slopes ... Had to do some planning and think of the position of the sun for the reflector-less shots ...
We have to shoot a lot of levels and the attachment points of the cables and insulators.
Huy is an old village along the river 'De Maas' and famous for 'Le mur de Huy' a very steep hill in one of Belgium's famous cycling classics.
A view along the border of 'De Maas'
The old Fort of Huy
Tomorrow some 3d-drafting in Microstation,
Chr.
Surveying AND History. Nice post Christ.
Have a great week!
Christof
Enjoyed your posts as always. The whole area around there is very nice. Wish I could say that from personal experience but I cheated and used Google Earth.
Chris-
Are you doing an 'as built' of the transformers and other electrical equipment in the hydro 'pens' ?
Do you feel any 'tingles' from the electrical induction around you ?
Back when the Earth was cooling in the mid 1960s, I was working under High Tension Hydro transmission lines on a damp, soggy with snow day and there were tingles from the induction (?) felt when my eye socket got near the T1AE I was running.
Cheers,
Derek
Derek,
the conditions you describe were used at the safety lessons and noted as unsafe, very cold, damp, foggy conditions are not the best to work in these units.
In this post part was 150KV, the other main part 380KV ... I'm sure they won't let us in when not safe. There was an accident some years ago with an aerial work platform.
I guess they will add some new lines.
Chr.
Did you notice any interference with the mag drive on the s6 from the overhead lines ? Or any interference with the radio link to the robot ?
I have always wondered if the electromagnetic field around the overhead lines would affect a robotic s6, especially if so close.
Regards
Lee
Hi Lee,
we had indeed 2 communications errors with one of the S6's ...
I'll keep an eye on it if I can reproduce it in normal conditions.
A 'communication error' and 'total station not responding' when I switched from reflector-less to our Active Multi target. It was as if the S6 could not switch back to prism mode. It was each time after some shots close to the very bright sunlight ... I had the intention that after some of these shots the gun became slower ... but don't know if that's possible. We had two sunny days ... for this type of work I prefer cloudy weather.
Chr.
Awesome photos...awesome project...I'd get the willies surveying around that electrical grid...I'd be the guy inside a faraday cage doing the shots. Cant wait to get back in that area Cristof....thanks for posting!
Looks like a job for a laser scanner.
Nice pics and descriptions Christ. Cheers.
I am sorry, but unless this substation is down, your field practices are not safe.
"Transformers and other equipment inside substations carry extremely high voltages up to 330,000 volts. Electricity at this voltage can ‘jump’ up to six metres from the equipment to other objects and people. The higher the voltage, the further electricity can jump so electrocution is possible without touching the equipment in a substation."