A cement plant in France has uses LiDAR data from the Elios 3 in stock measurements for a clinker inventory. This has made the process safer and more accurate.
Benefits in a nutshell
- Speed
In 30 minutes – 10 minutes for data collection and 20 minutes for post-processing with GeoSLAM Connect – the plant’s operators were able to take accurate stock measurements of clinkers. - Working in dusty environments
The 3D Live Map of the Elios 3 made it possible to fly in the silo despite poor visibility due to the large amount of dust. -
Safety
The accuracy of the stock measurement was a lot more reliable than that of the traditional method. This involves standing on a platform in the silo and using a stick to estimate the number of clinkers in the silo.
Introduction
Clinkers are used to manufacture various types of cement. During the manufacturing process, clinkers are ground into a fine powder, which is then used as a binder to make cement.
Clinkers look like small grey stones. They are stored in large silos. It is important for cement factories to know how much they have in stock. This way, they can plan how much cement they will be able to produce.
In most cement factories, operators manually keep track of how many clinkers they have in stock. To do this, a plant employee must stand on a platform in a silo and poke the clinkers stored underneath with a long stick. By feeling with the stick, the employee estimates the amount currently stored in the silo, and then reports it to the production team.
Customer needs
Clinker silos are dusty, dark, and potentially dangerous environments.
At a cement plant in France, workers had to do that clinker inventory using the stick method described above. And this on a small, wobbly platform located 25 metres in the air at the top of the silo.
This approach exposed them to the dangers inherent in working at height and provided quite inaccurate data on the number of clinkers in the silo.
Operators at this cement factory knew that this approach was inaccurate and potentially dangerous. Therefore, they started looking for new technologies that could improve this process.
Solution
They decided to test the Elios 3 during an inventory and whether the data obtained could then be processed with GeoSLAM Connect.
The Elios 3 is equipped with a LiDAR sensor, allowing it to collect very accurate data in flight. Using SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping), the Elios 3’s LiDAR data allows real-time 3D mapping while the drone is flying. These maps make the Elios 3 an ideal tool for working in dusty environments such as clinker silos. Even if the drone’s live video feed is obscured by dust, the pilot can fly using the 3D Live Map. This allows him to see where the drone is within the silo and can fly even if the drone is visually blind.
Results
The clinker stock measurement with the Elios 3 was a success. It was not only faster but also proved much more accurate than the manual inventory.
Furthermore, the pilot was able to work in the dusty environment using the Elios 3’s 3D Live Map, and the drone remained stable – despite the lack of visibility – thanks to the stabilisation system with LiDAR.
Below are all the benefits the cement factory realised thanks to Elios 3:
- Speed
In 10 minutes of flight time and 20 minutes of post-processing on GeoSLAM Connect, the plant employees were able to obtain a highly accurate volume measurement of the clinkers. - Accuracy
The Elios 3’s stock measurement was much more accurate than traditional methods. -
Dust flying
The large amount of dust present in clinker silos and other assets in cement plants can make it difficult to fly in them or do any work. But the Elios 3’s 3D Live Map and advanced stabilisation made the mission possible. - Safety
Using the Elios 3 for stockpile measurement, meant that no one had to climb onto the shaky platform at a height of 25 metres to collect data manually. - Coverage
The Elios 3’s 3D Live Map guaranteed plant staff full coverage of the clinkers for stock measurement.
Additional visual inspection of a filter shaft
Besides surveying the clinkers with the LiDAR data from the Elios 3, the factory staff decided to test the drone to inspect a filter shaft.
The staff suspected that the shaft’s beams were damaged and wanted to see what the beams looked like up closely.
When the Elios 3 flew into the filter shaft, inspectors could immediately see that several beams were severely damaged. These findings helped the maintenance team in their efforts. Repairs were quickly planned so that the shaft could continue to function, and unplanned plant closures could be avoided.
Conclusion
The inventory measurement in the clinker silo was such a success that operators are considering using the Elios 3 permanently for their inventory needs.
In addition to clinker inventory, staff are considering using the Elios 3 for regular visual inspections of the inside of various plant assets.
Since pilots can fly the 3D Live Map even in very dusty environments, the Elios 3 can be used in many plants where dust typically interferes with visibility or operation.
