Pinpointing Leaks in a District Heating Network with Aerial Thermal Imaging
District heating networks are a highly efficient method for heating communities, but their vast scale presents significant maintenance challenges. A small, hidden leak in an underground pipe can be incredibly difficult and expensive to locate, leading to wasted energy, disruptive exploratory digging, and service interruptions. This case study showcases how Vertex Access provided a fast, accurate, and non-invasive solution for a major urban utility provider.
The Challenges
Our client, a major urban utility provider, suspected multiple leaks across their extensive district heating network. However, they struggled to pinpoint the exact locations using traditional ground-level inspection methods, which were proving to be slow and ineffective. They needed a solution that could rapidly survey the entire network and deliver precise, actionable data. However, locating a leak in a buried heating pipe is like finding a needle in a haystack. The two primary challenges were:
Vast Scale: The network ran for many miles beneath streets, parks, and industrial areas. Manually inspecting the entire route was impractical, and ground-level thermal cameras couldn't provide the necessary overview to be effective.
Poor Angle & Obstructions: Attempting thermal surveys from the ground is often unreliable. The shallow angle provides a poor thermal signature, and the view is frequently blocked by buildings, vehicles, and vegetation, leading to incomplete data and missed leaks.
Vertex’s Solution: A Bird’s-Eye View
Our solution was to deploy a specialised drone equipped with a high-resolution radiometric thermal camera. The plan was simple but effective:
Flight Planning: We mapped the known route of the district heating pipes and programmed an automated flight path for our drone.
Data Acquisition: The drone flew over the entire network, capturing thousands of high-resolution thermal and standard visual (RGB) images.
Precision Geotagging: Every image captured was automatically geotagged with precise GPS coordinates.
This method allowed us to survey the entire network in a fraction of the time it would take on foot, ensuring complete coverage and capturing data from the perfect top-down angle for analysis.
Analysis & Results: From Data to Action
The captured imagery was then handed over to our ITC Level 3 certified thermographer for expert analysis. The process involved meticulously reviewing the thermal data, looking for tell-tale "hot spots" on the surface. These thermal anomalies indicate areas where heat from leaking hot water or steam is rising through the ground and warming the surface above.
Because each thermal anomaly was linked to a geotagged visual image, we could cross-reference the heat signature with the real-world location. This allowed us to not only detect a suspected leak but also to see its exact position relative to landmarks like manholes, kerb lines, or trees.
The Outcome: Saving Time, Energy, and Money
The aerial thermal survey provided the client with precise, actionable intelligence. Instead of undertaking disruptive and expensive exploratory digging, their repair crews could go directly to the locations we identified. The project was a complete success, allowing the client to:
Rapidly locate multiple leaks across their large network.
Drastically reduce inspection time and associated labour costs.
Avoid unnecessary excavation, saving money and minimising public disruption.
Improve network efficiency by fixing leaks that were previously wasting energy.
This case study demonstrates how Vertex Access's drone survey expertise provides critical infrastructure operators with a safer, faster, and more cost-effective way to manage and maintain their assets.
