Client: Enfinium
Location: Parc Adfer, North Wales
Service: Confined Space Drone Inspection of Spring Hanger Systems
Drone Inspection of Spring Hanger Assemblies within a Complex Industrial Power Generation Facility
Introduction
Industrial pipework systems operating within Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities, biomass plants, and conventional power generation assets are subject to significant thermal expansion and contraction during operational cycles. As pipework transitions from ambient “cold” conditions to full operating temperature, structural movement can be considerable, particularly within high temperature steam and process pipe systems.
To manage these dynamic loads safely, spring hanger assemblies are installed as part of the pipe support system. These engineered components maintain appropriate load distribution throughout the pipe network while allowing controlled movement between cold and hot operating conditions.
DJM Aerial Solutions were recently tasked with conducting a drone inspection survey of multiple spring hanger assemblies located throughout a complex industrial facility. Many of these assets were positioned in elevated or extremely difficult-to-access areas within the plant structure, presenting significant challenges for traditional inspection methods.
By deploying the Flyability Elios 3 confined space inspection drone, the team were able to complete a comprehensive survey of the hanger assemblies safely and efficiently, providing critical visual data to the engineering team responsible for maintaining the plant’s asset integrity programme.
Understanding the Importance of Spring Hanger Systems in Industrial Pipework
Spring hanger assemblies are specifically designed to support pipework that experiences significant vertical movement caused by thermal expansion and contraction.
As pipework systems heat during plant operation, they expand in length and can move vertically due to geometry and support arrangement. Conversely, when systems cool during shutdown or maintenance periods, the pipework contracts back towards its original cold position.
Spring hangers allow this movement while maintaining consistent support loads.
Typical functions of spring hanger assemblies include:
• Maintaining constant support loads on pipework
• Allowing controlled vertical movement during thermal expansion
• Preventing excessive loads being transferred into anchors and guides
• Protecting critical equipment such as boilers, turbines, pumps and valves
• Supporting long spans of high temperature pipe systems
Each hanger assembly is designed with a specific operating travel range, typically measured using indicator scales that show the cold position and the hot operating position.
If the spring hanger becomes:
• Seized
• Incorrectly set
• Operating outside its travel range
• Mechanically damaged
• Misaligned due to structural movement
then the pipework system can experience undesirable load transfer, potentially causing stress within anchors, guides, pipe supports, or connected plant equipment.
Routine inspection of these assemblies is therefore a critical part of industrial asset integrity and maintenance strategies.
The Access Challenge
The facility contained numerous spring hanger assemblies positioned throughout dense pipework corridors, structural steel frameworks, and elevated plant infrastructure.
Many were located:
• At significant height above working platforms
• Behind congested pipework runs
• Within confined structural areas
• In positions where conventional access was extremely difficult
Under traditional inspection methods, accessing these locations would likely require:
• Extensive scaffolding installation
• Rope access teams
• Temporary working platforms
• Isolation of surrounding systems
Scaffold installation alone could take several days to design, erect, inspect and certify, with the structures often remaining in place for extended periods during inspection and maintenance planning.
In addition to the time implications, these methods introduce increased exposure to working at height hazards, logistical challenges within operational plants, and significant cost.
Drone-Based Inspection Approach
To overcome these access challenges, DJM Aerial Solutions deployed the Flyability Elios 3 confined space inspection drone, a collision-tolerant UAV specifically designed for operating within complex industrial environments.
The Elios 3 platform offers several advantages for internal and restricted access inspections:
• Protective collision-tolerant cage for safe contact with structures
• High intensity LED lighting for low visibility environments
• Ultra-stable flight control within confined spaces
• High resolution visual inspection cameras
• Real-time live video feedback to the inspection team
• Precise manoeuvrability around dense infrastructure
This technology allows inspection engineers to safely access areas that would otherwise require intrusive physical access methods.
Inspection Methodology
The inspection process was carefully planned to ensure safe operation within the industrial environment while capturing detailed inspection data for the engineering team.
The drone survey focused on documenting the condition and positioning of each hanger assembly, with particular attention given to the indicator scales and structural components of the supports.
Key inspection objectives included:
• Identification of spring hanger indicator positions
• Verification of cold or hot load positions where visible
• Visual assessment of structural condition of hanger assemblies
• Inspection of rods, brackets, and support structures
• Identification of potential mechanical damage or misalignment
• Detection of seized or restricted hanger movement indicators
Using the Elios 3 drone, the team were able to navigate safely around the pipework infrastructure and capture high resolution imagery of each hanger assembly.
Real-time video feedback allowed the inspection team to precisely position the drone to capture clear views of the indicator plates and load scales, which are critical for engineering evaluation.
Inspection Efficiency
One of the most significant benefits of the drone deployment was the speed of inspection.
Where traditional methods would likely have required:
• Multiple days of scaffold installation
• Permit coordination
• extended working at height exposure
the drone-based inspection was completed within a matter of hours.
This rapid inspection capability enabled the engineering team to obtain the data required to review hanger positions and system performance without disrupting plant operations or introducing unnecessary safety risks.
Supporting Asset Integrity and Engineering Assessment
The inspection data captured during the survey was delivered to the client in the form of high resolution imagery and recorded inspection footage, allowing engineering teams to review the condition of each hanger assembly remotely.
This information can support:
• Verification of spring hanger travel positions
• Identification of abnormal loading conditions
• Maintenance planning for hanger adjustments or repairs
• Confirmation of correct support behaviour during operation
• Integration with wider pipework inspection programmes
Drone inspection does not replace detailed engineering evaluation but instead provides critical visual intelligence, allowing asset integrity teams to make informed decisions regarding further intervention or monitoring.
Safety Benefits of Remote Inspection Technology
From a safety perspective, the use of drone inspection technology significantly reduces exposure to common industrial hazards.
Traditional inspection approaches often involve:
• Working at height
• complex scaffold structures
• manual access within congested plant environments
• prolonged personnel exposure within operational facilities
By using remotely operated inspection drones, these risks can be substantially reduced.
The drone performs the inspection while operators remain in a safe control position, maintaining visual line of sight with the aircraft and monitoring the live video feed.
This approach aligns with modern industrial safety principles focused on eliminating or reducing personnel exposure wherever possible.
The Value of Drone Inspection for Complex Industrial Assets
The successful completion of this survey further demonstrates the growing role of drone technology within industrial inspection and asset integrity programmes across the UK.
Facilities such as:
• Energy from Waste plants
• Biomass power stations
• Conventional power generation sites
• Petrochemical facilities
• Heavy industrial manufacturing plants
often contain large volumes of elevated or inaccessible infrastructure where traditional inspection methods are costly and time intensive.
Drone inspection provides a practical alternative that allows operators to obtain rapid, high quality visual inspection data while significantly reducing access requirements.
Conclusion
The drone inspection of spring hanger assemblies within this complex industrial environment demonstrated how advanced inspection technology can overcome access challenges while supporting engineering decision-making.
By deploying the Flyability Elios 3 drone, DJM Aerial Solutions were able to safely inspect multiple hanger assemblies located throughout the facility in a fraction of the time required for traditional access methods.
The captured inspection data allows engineers to review hanger indicator positions, assess structural condition, and identify potential anomalies within the pipe support system without exposing personnel to unnecessary risk.
As industrial operators continue to prioritise safety, efficiency, and cost control, remote inspection technologies such as confined space drones are becoming an increasingly valuable tool within modern asset integrity programmes.
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