Confined Space Drone Inspection of an Anaerobic Digestion Tank
Project Snapshot
Sector: Utilities & Waste Management
Service: Confined Space Drone Surveys & Drone LiDAR Surveys
Equipment: Flyability Elios 3 (with LiDAR payload)
Challenge: Inspecting a highly toxic, oxygen deficient tank without risking human entry.
Deliverables: 3D LiDAR Point Cloud, High Resolution Visual Assessment
The Challenge
Our client required a routine internal condition assessment of a critical anaerobic digestion tank at a waste treatment facility. The objective was to evaluate the structural integrity of the tank lining, check for corrosion, and measure sludge build-up.
Traditional inspection methods posed extreme risks. Anaerobic digestion naturally creates an oxygen-deficient, highly toxic atmosphere filled with methane and hydrogen sulfide. Sending human inspectors inside would require the tank to be completely drained, cleaned, and ventilated—an incredibly expensive process resulting in days of severe operational downtime. Furthermore, the tank's restrictive entry points made rope access or scaffolding highly hazardous.
The Vertex Solution
To completely eliminate the need for hazardous human entry and costly prep work, Vertex Air deployed a specialised, collision-tolerant confined space drone designed for GPS-denied environments.
Entering through a small, existing access point at ground level, our pilot safely navigated the drone throughout the dark internal structure. Powerful onboard LED lighting illuminated the space, allowing the high-resolution camera to capture crystal-clear visual data of the walls, ceiling, and internal pipework. Simultaneously, the onboard LiDAR scanner fired millions of laser pulses to map the tank's internal geometry.
The Result
The entire inspection was completed in a matter of hours, rather than days, drastically reducing operational downtime and allowing the tank to return to service almost immediately. Most importantly, all health and safety risks to personnel were completely avoided.
The client received a comprehensive digital package, including a dimensionally accurate 3D LiDAR point cloud to measure sludge build-up and structural deformation. Alongside this, our team provided a highly detailed visual record to pinpoint corrosion, empowering the facility to make proactive, informed maintenance decisions with total confidence.
