Hubei Electric Power uses drones to remove ice from power lines. Photo: screenshot from Yangtze River Daily

Multiple regions across China have introduced various technologies, such as the intelligent inspection systems and de-icing methods by using advanced tech tools like smart robotic dogs and drones to combat the adverse weather conditions, as a move to ensure power supply. 

On Wednesday, China's southern regions experienced low temperatures, rain, snow and freezing weather. Some areas in the eastern parts of southwestern regions saw snow, while freezing rain occurred in Southwest China's Guizhou Province and Central China's Hunan Province, the China Meteorological Administration said on Wednesday. The rainy, snowy and freezing weather in the southern regions are expected to gradually come to an end on Thursday, according to the administration.

The continuous ice and snow weather in recent days has posed a challenge to the power supply in various regions. In Central China's Hubei Province, State Grid Hubei Electric Power has adopted a series of high-tech anti-ice and power supply measures, including using smart robotic dogs and drones, to closely monitor the operation of equipment 24 hours a day, according to Hubei-based Yangtze River Daily.

Zhang Fang, the head of a power substation in Wuhan, said that traditional substations mainly rely on manual inspections. However, the deployment of smart robotic dogs has improved the speed, scope and accuracy of power maintenance. These smart robotic dogs are lightweight and compact, which can reach positions and areas that traditional inspection robots can't, said Zhang, according to the report.

In less than half an hour, a smart robotic dog checked more than 400 inspection points, and detected five items, reminding the substation duty personnel to pay attention to various abnormal conditions, according to media reports.

In South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the local electric power company used new tech "anti-icing heavy hammer" to reduce the icing on the power line and prevent it from becoming heavily iced and causing breakage, according to Guangxi Power Grid Company. 

Meanwhile, the company continued to use specialized anti-icing cameras, inspection drones, infrared thermometers and other new technologies to ensure the safe inspection of ice-covered power lines, said the company.

In order to cope with rainy and foggy weather, part of the Jinan-Qingdao Highway has installed visibility detectors and bridge icing condition detectors at key locations such as major bridges, reservoirs and rivers, which can sense various weather conditions and provide real-time warnings, according to media reports.

Global Times