Happy Wednesday!
Did anyone receive the Chevron
Corporation Newsletter on May 30, 2024, their article titled, “Pipeline
aerial patrol reaches new heights”? The
article is in regard to a joint project between Chevron and American Aerospace
Technologies, Inc. (AATI) the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved
them to use uncrewed aircraft systems (UASs) in the same areas as manned aircraft,
so Chevron is using the UASs to inspect and surveil their pipelines and
facilities starting in the San Joaquin Valley in California. AATI will be using their AiRanger which is a
drone with an 18-feet wingspan, it weighs about 220 pounds, uses roughly 8
gallons of aviation fuel in a 12-hour flight in addition the drone is equipped
with intelligent sensors and real-time communication therefore response will be
implemented quickly by on-the-ground personnel.
The AiRanger has a low carbon footprint compared to manned planes due to
it uses a tenth of the aviation fuel used now to monitor pipelines and
facilities. AiRanger has a person at command
where he or she keeps an eye on things or make additional passes if something
is flagged as well as artificial intelligence (AI) on the UASs to help monitor,
inspect, and document in real-time. The AI onboard uses machine learning to
learn patterns, so it will improve the things it is identifying as well as
alert the pilot at the homebase, if another aircraft is sensed to allow for avoidance
tactics. Well, this sounds pretty neat
and with the new methane rules and methane police this should be able to help
them be on top of monitoring for leaks and other issues. If you would like to read more of the article
from Chevron Corporation, please click the link: Pipeline Aerial Patrol Reaches new Heights — Chevron.
If you would like help in looking into how to transport your liquid
product from your terminal and reduce your emissions to spearhead your
company’s goal of becoming carbon neutral, contact us via the email in the blog
and check out our ESC's website!
We hope you have a great and productive week!
**Disclaimer –There may be a fee to read the Chevron
Corporation article. **