BC Hydro - Innovative power line maintenance could save BC Hydro millions
August 10, 1999

BC Hydro has paired up with Aberdeen Helicopters Ltd. this summer to use helicopters to repair broken insulators. The innovative pilot project could save the company and the utility industry millions of dollars on power line maintenance.
BC Hydro’s ongoing power line maintenance includes repairing insulators, situated on power lines, which have been struck by lightning. The insulators must be repaired to reduce the risk of a fire or a major outage, should they be struck by lightning a second time.

When BC Hydro power line technician and subforeman Tom Kile looked at the number of insulators needing repairs, and the time he had to repair them, he knew the task would be difficult. The main problem was first getting to the transmission towers so his staff could get reach the insulators. Access roads to the towers were in poor shape due to this past winter’s high snowfall.

Kile then came up with the idea of repairing the broken insulators using helicopters to position crews on de-energized towers. Helicopters had been used in the past to construct power lines, but were seldom used by crews for maintenance.

"There have been standards written for this type of work for years now," said Kile. "In the past, helicopters have been used primarily for construction, but the use of them for maintenance was limited."

Kile and his crew began planning. They approached Aberdeen Helicopters Ltd., a company specializing in aerial construction. Aberdeen agreed to be part of the pilot project and worked with BC Hydro to develop the intricate process of repairing broken insulators by helicopter.

"We undertook extensive pre-work practice and planning before starting the project," said Aberdeen Helicopters Ltd. representative Peter McGill. "By the time the project began, the crew members had become a close-knit team rather than two separate companies."

The project required the helicopter pilots to be proficient in three main skill areas: hovering with the helicopter lightly touching the landing platform, controlling the helicopter so that its balance is not affected when crew members disembark, and lowering tools from heights of about 50 feet into an area measuring one square foot.

"The pilots’ duties involve very precise work," explained Kile. "For example, lowering tools into such a small area requires skills that most pilots don’t usually practice, although all the pilots at Aberdeen are highly trained and experienced."

The most challenging part of planning the project was coordinating the work with BC Hydro’s System Control staff in Burnaby. System Control, located on Burnaby Mountain, controls the electricity transmitted through the power lines. The centre’s staff have the ability to turn the power on and off.

"We repaired all of the damaged insulators, one tower at a time," said Kile. "We began just south of Quesnel and progressed north, finishing up at the Williston substation just outside of Prince George."

BC Hydro plans to use helicopters again because it decreases maintenance time and has proven to be an effective, efficient way to repair broken insulators.

"If we had to use the roads to get access to the broken insulators, we could only complete two sites per day," added Kile. "By using helicopters, we can complete five to six sites per day."

Using helicopters also lengthens the maintenance season. "Usually, we can’t begin repairs until late May because of road conditions and we have to stop work in July and August due to fire risks," said Kile. "With helicopters, we don’t have to contend with poor road conditions or the increased fire risk, since we don’t work on the ground at all."

BC Hydro considers the pilot project a thorough success. The cooperation and communication between the people involved has been praised by both companies.

"My hat is off to Tom Kile and Peter McGill," said BC Hydro transmission and rights-of-way maintenance manager Harry Morgan. "The teamwork involved in this project is the key to its success."

Visit BC Hydro’s web site at: www.bchydro.com

CONTACT: Nancy MacLeod
Community Relations Manager
Phone: (250) 561-4906