UAV Avian Deterrence for Substation Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical power substations are vulnerable to damage from birds, which can cause power outages and increase maintenance costs due to bird droppings and potential electrical hazards.
Innovation Solution
A bird deterrence system using detection units and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that detect approaching birds and instruct them to follow predefined flight paths to avoid substation areas, thereby preventing bird interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional passive protection methods are used for substation equipment, then equipment vulnerability to bird damage remains high, but system complexity and operational costs increase with active deterrence systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an unmanned aerial vehicle as an intermediary between the detection system and the birds. The UAV acts as a mobile deterrent that can dynamically respond to detected birds, providing effective protection without requiring complex fixed infrastructure throughout the substation area. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by achieving reliable protection through a targeted, adaptable system rather than comprehensive complex coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs autonomous detection units that automatically detect birds and trigger UAV deployment without human intervention. The UAV itself operates autonomously to deter birds, reducing the need for human operators and complex control systems. This self-service capability improves reliability while minimizing the operational complexity of the deterrence system.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If detection units and UAVs are deployed to deter birds, then bird interference is reduced, but system operational costs and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The detection units operate periodically rather than continuously, scanning for birds at intervals and activating the UAV only when birds are detected. This periodic operation significantly reduces energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring and UAV operation, while still effectively deterring bird interference by maintaining a presence that birds anticipate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection and assessment before deploying the UAV. Detection units monitor the area and only trigger UAV deployment when actual bird presence is confirmed, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption from premature or unnecessary UAV activation. This preliminary action approach ensures energy is used only when needed to address actual bird interference threats.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for deterring avian species from approaching a sensitive area. A determination is made that a bird is approaching a sensitive area. A predefined flight path is selected from a plurality of predefined flight paths based on the determination that the bird is approaching the sensitive area. Each of the predefined flight paths of the plurality of predefined flight paths is configured to avoid objects within the sensitive area. An unmanned aerial vehicle is instructed to traverse the predefined flight path that has been selected.