Confined Space Drone Inspection Using Elios 3 Technology for Industrial Asset Integrity

Why Confined Space Drone Inspection Is Becoming Essential Across UK Industry

Confined space inspection has historically been one of the most hazardous and operationally disruptive activities undertaken within industrial environments. Across Energy from Waste facilities, petrochemical plants, oil refineries, biomass power stations, manufacturing sites, water treatment infrastructure, and bulk storage terminals, critical assets often exist within enclosed, elevated, or inaccessible environments where traditional inspection methods introduce significant safety risks and operational costs.

Today, confined space drone inspection is rapidly changing how industrial operators approach asset integrity, outage planning, condition assessment, and preventative maintenance.

At DJM Aerial Solutions, we specialise in delivering confined space drone inspections using the Flyability Elios 3 platform across the UK. Our inspections support asset integrity engineers, maintenance planners, OEMs, and operational teams by providing high resolution visual data, LiDAR point cloud deliverables, thermal imagery, and digital inspection intelligence without exposing personnel to unnecessary confined space hazards.

Unlike conventional inspection approaches requiring scaffolding, rope access, MEWPs, rescue teams, or manned entry, confined space drone technology allows complex industrial assets to be inspected safely, efficiently, and with minimal disruption to operations.

What Is a Confined Space Drone Inspection?

A confined space drone inspection uses a collision tolerant UAV platform specifically designed to operate within enclosed or GPS denied industrial environments.

These environments commonly include:

Boilers
Gas passes
Storage tanks
Pressure vessels
Digesters
Cyclones and separators
Ducting systems
Stacks and chimneys
Pipe racks
Silos
Tunnels and culverts
Clean water tanks
Process infrastructure

The Elios 3 confined space drone is equipped with:

High resolution 4K visual cameras
Integrated thermal imaging capability
Onboard LiDAR sensors
Protective collision tolerant cage
High intensity LED lighting
Stabilised flight systems for GPS denied environments

This technology enables operators to safely access areas that would otherwise require intrusive and high risk manual inspection methods.

The Challenges of Traditional Confined Space Inspection

Traditional confined space inspection methodologies often involve substantial operational complexity.

Depending on the asset type, conventional inspection may require:

Extensive scaffold erection
Confined space rescue teams
Isolation procedures
Gas monitoring
Permit controlled entry
Rope access personnel
Working at height controls
Temporary lighting installation
Plant shutdowns or restricted operations

For large industrial assets, these preparations can take days or even weeks before inspection work can begin.

In addition to the operational delays, these methods expose personnel to numerous hazards including:

Working at height
Restricted egress
Falling objects
Poor visibility
Oxygen deficiency
Airborne contaminants
Heat stress
Structural instability

Confined space drone inspection significantly reduces these risks by removing the requirement for personnel to physically access hazardous environments wherever possible.

Why the Elios 3 Is Leading the Confined Space Drone Industry

The Flyability Elios 3 is currently one of the most advanced confined space inspection platforms available for industrial inspection applications.

Unlike conventional drones that rely heavily on GPS stabilisation, the Elios 3 is specifically designed for operating within enclosed industrial environments surrounded by steel structures, concrete, pipework, and process infrastructure.

Key advantages include:

Collision Tolerant Design

The protective spherical cage allows the drone to safely contact structures during flight while maintaining stable operation.

This is critical when operating within narrow ducting systems, boiler tube banks, pipe corridors, or congested process infrastructure.

LiDAR Based Stabilisation

The Elios 3 uses onboard LiDAR and sensor fusion technology to maintain stable flight within GPS denied environments.

This enables safe operation within:

Boilers
Stacks
Tanks
Tunnels
Digesters
Pipe racks

where conventional aerial drones would struggle to maintain reliable positioning.

Integrated LiDAR Point Cloud Capability

The onboard LiDAR system enables the generation of point cloud data and digital models of complex assets.

Deliverables may include:

LAS point clouds
Digital twins
3D mesh models
Asset geometry mapping
Defect location annotation

This provides engineering teams with significantly greater insight into asset condition and spatial arrangement.

Thermal Inspection Capability

Integrated thermal imaging capability allows operators to identify:

Thermal anomalies
Insulation degradation
Potential hotspots
Leak indicators
Abnormal heat signatures

within industrial infrastructure.

Industrial Applications for Confined Space Drone Inspection

Boiler Drone Inspection

One of the most valuable applications for confined space drone inspection is within Energy from Waste and biomass boiler environments.

Using the Elios 3, operators can inspect:

Gas Pass 1
Gas Pass 2
Gas Pass 3
Economisers
Superheaters
Boiler tube banks
Refractory linings

Typical inspection objectives include:

Detection of refractory degradation
Identification of exposed tubes
Assessment of slag build up
Detection of potential tube leak indicators
Assessment of structural condition

These inspections provide critical data supporting outage planning and boiler optimisation strategies.

Tank and Vessel Drone Inspection

Bulk storage tanks, process vessels, digesters, and clean water infrastructure are ideal candidates for confined space drone inspection.

Drone deployment enables rapid assessment of:

Roof structures
Shell condition
Internal corrosion
Penetrations and nozzles
Structural supports
Product contamination areas

without requiring extensive scaffold access or prolonged confined space entry.

Stack and Chimney Inspection

Internal stack inspections are becoming increasingly common across power generation and heavy industrial sectors.

Using the Elios 3, operators can assess:

Masonry deterioration
Concrete cracking
Liner condition
Corrosion
Joint degradation
Internal structural defects

within tall vertical assets that would otherwise require extremely costly access systems.

Ducting and ACC Infrastructure

Industrial ducting systems often present significant access challenges.

Confined space drone inspection allows operators to assess:

Internal corrosion
Particulate build up
Structural deformation
Mechanical damage
Airflow restrictions

within ventilation and ACC ducting systems.

LiDAR Surveys and Digital Twin Deliverables

One of the major advantages of the Elios 3 platform is the ability to generate LiDAR point cloud deliverables from inaccessible environments.

This enables engineering teams to obtain:

3D digital twins
Point cloud surveys
Geometry mapping
Spatial analysis
Measured survey data

of assets where traditional terrestrial laser scanning may be impossible or prohibitively time consuming.

Recent projects completed by DJM Aerial Solutions have included:

Clean water sump LiDAR surveys
Complex ducting systems
Confined culvert inspections
Internal tank geometry mapping

where drone based data capture was completed within minutes rather than days.

Supporting Asset Integrity Programmes

Confined space drone inspection is increasingly being integrated into wider industrial asset integrity frameworks.

Inspection data captured during surveys can support:

Written Schemes of Examination
EEMUA 159 inspection strategies
API inspection frameworks
Preventative maintenance programmes
Outage planning
Condition trending
Repair prioritisation

The inspection data provides asset integrity engineers with valuable visual intelligence that supports evidence based decision making.

The Operational Benefits of Confined Space Drone Inspection

Reduced Downtime

Drone deployment dramatically reduces access preparation and inspection duration.

Improved Safety

Personnel exposure to confined space hazards is significantly reduced.

Reduced Access Costs

Scaffold, rope access, and temporary platform requirements can often be minimised or eliminated entirely.

Faster Inspection Delivery

Complex assets can often be inspected within hours rather than days.

Better Data Collection

High resolution imagery, thermal data, and point cloud outputs provide detailed inspection intelligence.

Improved Maintenance Planning

Early identification of deterioration allows targeted repair planning before failure occurs.

The Future of Industrial Inspection

Industrial operators across the UK are increasingly recognising that confined space drone inspection is no longer an emerging technology, it is becoming an operational necessity.

Facilities operating within:

Energy from Waste
Biomass power generation
Oil and gas
Petrochemical processing
Water treatment
Heavy industrial manufacturing

are under constant pressure to improve safety, reduce downtime, optimise maintenance budgets, and improve operational reliability.

Confined space drone technology directly supports these objectives.