Dukovany NPP to Use Drones and Artificial Intelligence
The latest technology to monitor the state of cooling towers will be implemented at Dukovany NPP in cooperation with the Czech Technical University.
In recent months, the experts have tested the cooling tower evaluation system using drones on one of the cooling towers of the Dukovany NPP instead of suspended catwalks and high-rise work. The aim was to accurately map its condition and verify the functionality of the new modern technology.
With the help of 3D laser spectral scanning, photometry and thermal imaging, the drones captured 100 % of the surface of internal and external cladding of the cooling tower. Thermal imaging captured even minor violations in internal layers, which were later confirmed. The use of AI made it possible to create a “digital twin” with the construction of graphs and identification of findings. After this, samples were physically and chemically tested in the laboratories of the Klokner’s Institute of the Czech Technological University in Prague.
Based on the data obtained and a maintenance schedule developed using a certified methodology, it will be possible to predict the condition and ensure the operational life of cooling towers for 60-80 years.
According to Bohdan Zronek, Member of the Board of Directors and Chief of the Nuclear Energy Division of CEZ, before implementation of new methods of monitoring, it would be necessary first to confirm their reliability. However, the latest technologies will help to reduce the number of activities and save funds.
According to CEZ