Chemical firms survey their plants from the sky Before Dow Chemical got federal approval in 2015 to fly drones through its chemical plants, the company had to hire a helicopter, set up telescopes, or spend days erecting scaffolding to check on potential problems in hard-to-reach places. “Now within hours we can get high-resolution photos and videos,” says John Flanagan, director of corporate aviation at Dow. “When we get that image, we can zoom in and really make assessments on nuts, bolts, wiring, tie-offs—you name it. It’s like having a human eye a couple of feet away, when really we’re standing off by 100 feet.” The company has also been flying the drones inside enormous 12-meter-high chemical storage tanks to check for cracks or seal problems. Unlike most aerial photos taken with drones, “the images inside a tank are actually very boring and very dark,” he says. But this is a
10.1021/cen-09409-cover3-facilitycxd-gr1
Dow uses drones at its propylene production facility in Freeport, Texas. (Credit: Dow Chemical)
Drones detect threats such as chemical weapons, volcanic eruptions
Chemical & Engineering News ; 94 , 9 ; 36-37
2016-02-29
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
Unknown
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