Uso de drones para inspeção visual de sistemas de proteção contra descargas atmosféricas em plantas de armazenamento de grãos

Abstract

This work addresses the development of a method focused on the use of drones as tools to assist in the inspection process of lightning protection systems located in grain storage plants. Taking into account the growth of the cereal production sector, there has been an increase in the number of post-harvest service providers, each of them having a high monetary value concentrated in their structure. As storage plants predominantly consist of metallic structures, it is important to take measures to protect against lightning strikes, thus ensuring the safety of the equipment and people involved. Lightning protection systems, also known as SPDAs, are composed of multiple elements that require visual inspection at certain intervals to ensure their functioning and efficiency. The inspection of this type of system involves a series of activities aimed at identifying damages such as oxidation, rust, cable breaks, problems with insulators, among others, all of which are classified as working at heights. Among the incidents recorded in the post-processing and grain storage stage, falls from heights during inspection activities rank second, second only to incidents involving engulfment. In order to prevent this type of occurrence, the use of drones was proposed in this research as substitutes for employees in visual inspection activities of SPDAs. The current literature related to the subject, as well as the regulations, oversight bodies, and prerequisites for the use of this type of tool in the national territory, were surveyed. In order to prove the efficiency of the proposed method, à checklist was developed with the main points of inspection, which was validated through practical application in a grain storage unit located in the Western region of Paraná. The points requiring corrective actions were identified, allowing for planning and directing corrective activities only to the points where they were really needed. After the validation of the proposed method, several characteristics were identified, some positive, such as the great agility in the process and reduction of exposure to the risk of falling from heights, and some negative, such as the high cost of the equipment used and the need for a well-trained professional to avoid collision with the support cables of the structures.