# The Elios 3 UT Payload: Transforming Ship Hull Inspections
## Key Benefits at a Glance
### Safety
Using the Elios 3 eliminates the need for risky work at height, scaffolding, or confined-space entry. This significantly reduces the hazards associated with inspecting a ship's hull or tank.
### Speed
The Elios 3 can be operational within 30 minutes of arriving on-site, drastically cutting down the thousands of hours typically spent setting up scaffolding.
### Localization
The results from the UT drone survey with the Elios 3 can be viewed within a 3D model, making it straightforward to identify and revisit specific points of interest for further analysis or maintenance work.
### Reporting
C-Bird successfully completed the UTM and close-up survey needed for the ship’s 5-year periodic survey, with their data certified by a leading class society.
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All shipping vessels are required to undergo special periodic inspections every five years, with smaller inspections at shorter intervals. The older a ship gets, the more frequent and thorough these inspections become—major inspections occur every 30 months after a ship surpasses 15 years of age. These inspections are crucial for ensuring the vessel remains certified as safe to operate and can be quite costly, with ships often waiting in dry dock for the work to be completed. During these inspections, the ship’s hull must be evaluated using ultrasonic thickness (UT) measurements to confirm structural integrity, along with visual inspections of targeted areas. This focus is particularly intense on the midship area, which experiences the most stress when the ship is at sea. Such inspections are essential for uncovering faults that might not be visible to the naked eye or hidden within the ship's structure. Combining ultrasonic thickness measurements (UTM) with visual surveys allows inspectors to be confident in their findings and ensures that the ship inspection adheres to industry standards.
## Traditional UT Inspections on Ships
In the past, conducting UT inspections involved significant manual labor. Teams of up to 30 people would need to assemble scaffolding before a UT inspector could climb the structure and take measurements. Erecting scaffolding carries inherent risks due to working at heights and poses additional dangers to the ship itself—leftover pieces can get sucked into the tank’s pumps, potentially causing severe damage that would necessitate dry docking for repairs.
The inspection process for cargo tanks within a ship generally takes several days and requires special permits for working at heights or in confined spaces. Additionally, the ship must remain in dry dock during the inspection. Dry dock charges per day can add up quickly, making faster inspection methods like those offered by the Elios 3 a highly appealing alternative while still delivering critical data.
The cost of building scaffolding for surveying a 15-year-old tanker can range from $300,000 to $700,000. A ship can be out of commission for 40 to 60 days, with dry dock costs reaching between $4 million and $6 million, including further inspection and/or maintenance work. By eliminating the need for scaffolding, the Elios 3 not only enhances safety but also dramatically cuts costs.
## How UT Drone Inspections Benefit the Maritime Industry
C-Bird, a specialized ship inspection company, frequently employs the Elios 3 for UT inspections of vessels over 15 years old. CEO Malcolm Connolly and the C-Bird team understand that the Elios 3 is faster than traditional methods while still capturing the necessary UT and visual data required for a ship survey. This improves safety standards and reduces the time and expenses tied to scaffolding management, speeding up the entire inspection process.
For one project, C-Bird was tasked with inspecting 12 oil tanks in a medium-sized ship. Each tank measured 38 x 28 x 20 meters, with six transverse web frames in each cargo oil tank (COT) and transverse bulkheads separating each COT. To complete this task, Malcolm and his team turned to the Elios 3 and its innovative UT payload. The drone is capable of detailed LiDAR mapping and visual inspections, with visuals playing a critical role in periodic surveys since records must be captured at arm's length from the object being inspected. The drone can swiftly gather this visual data at the required distance without an inspector needing to climb scaffolding or work in confined spaces.
As one of the Flyability product advisors and beta-testers for the new UT payload, Malcolm saw this as the ideal opportunity to test how the drone and its UT probe would function in a typical non-destructive testing (NDT) environment while simultaneously completing the ship’s visual inspection.
## Performing a Ship UT Inspection with the Elios 3
Instead of relying on traditional labor-intensive methods, C-Bird used the UT probe with two Elios drones to inspect the 12 oil tanks. The inspections were guided by a class inspector who specified which areas needed to be tested. This drone-based inspection method was far quicker than the conventional scaffolding approach—once the equipment was onboard the ship, the UT inspection could begin immediately, saving considerable time compared to the thousands of hours associated with scaffolding. C-Bird flew the Elios 3 UT drone around each tank and took measurements in various locations as required by the inspection plan and any additional areas requested by the class surveyor. Both the UT inspections and visual inspections were completed within seven days. After the flights, the pilots cross-checked with the class inspector to ensure the Elios 3’s spot measurements matched the required number and location of measurement points.
The Elios 3 streamlined the visual inspections necessary for this process. The drone allowed pilots to collect both visual and UT data during the flights, providing a close-up view of the areas being surveyed at the required distance. This made it possible for C-Bird to gather the information they needed twice as fast, with one drone focused on visual inspections and the other measuring UT points. The results included a clear visual display of the points of interest and UT spot measurements.
The C-Bird team then compiled the data into the format required by the class society and submitted the inspection for review. This was significantly faster than traditional methods since all data collection was completed in one go, rather than requiring movement around scaffolding or adjusting a mobile elevation work platform (MEWP).
## Certified Results from Using the Elios 3 for a UT Ship Inspection
Following a two-year program of successful pilot projects, C-Bird and the results they produced with the Elios 3 and UT payload were certified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), one of the major class societies globally, as an approved recognized service supplier for ESP hull gauging (Enhanced Survey Program). This certification marked the first of its kind, underscoring the value of C-Bird’s achievements with this type of drone inspection.
Watch the Elios 3 use its live 3D model to guide the drone and make a UT measurement, marking it as a point of interest for ease of reporting.
The Elios 3 provided C-Bird with five key benefits. First, the team could easily localize the UT spot measurements within a clear point cloud. Second, the inspector could access the entire space more safely than with scaffolding or alternative methods, minimizing risk exposure. Third, the drone delivered reliable results certified by the class inspector. Fourth, the versatility of the Elios 3 makes it a comprehensive inspection tool adaptable to various environments with relevant payloads based on the project. Finally, C-Bird was able to deliver detailed results to the client in a clear report matching the required format for the class society. This was pivotal in proving the value of the drone not just as a UT inspection tool but as an asset scalable for multiple ship inspections.
C-Bird plans to continue using the Elios 3 and UT payload to perform visual and ultrasonic thickness inspections on assets across multiple industries, from maritime to oil and gas to asset management. The comprehensive results achieved with the drone distinguish the company from competitors and traditional methods through increased speed, enhanced safety, and superior data quality. This approach has opened a new chapter for confined space and challenging UT inspections—and C-Bird is excited to deploy the Elios 3 in new and exciting projects.
Discover more about the Elios 3 and its UT payload.
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