China's National Energy Administration has officially released the power industry standard DL/T 3017.2—2026, titled "Technical Guide for Drone-Assisted Maintenance of Overhead Power Lines Part 2: Electrical Testing and Installation/Removal of Grounding Wires." This standard was spearheaded by the China Electric Power Research Institute and primarily co-authored by Lanzhou Power Supply Company.
At the core of this new standard is the "Ohm Dual-Wing Drone Contact-Type Electrical Tester and Grounding Device," a technology independently developed by Lanzhou Power Supply Company. During a live demonstration at the 330 kV transmission line construction site in Lanzhou, workers on the ground remotely operated a drone equipped with the electrical tester. The drone hovered above the conductor, lowered the tester onto it, and received real-time feedback on the line's energized status via audio-visual signals. After testing, the drone carried grounding wires, sequentially attaching them to the tower and conductor ends. For removal, the drone used a release hook to detach the grounding clamps one by one, requiring only a single operator.
"Previously, we had to work on towers tens of meters high, gripping insulated rods. It was exhausting and always risky due to footing and induced currents," said Liu Li, the on-site work leader. "Now, with the drone, we can complete the task from the ground in 3 to 4 minutes for shorter towers and 5 to 6 minutes for taller ones."
In early 2023, Lanzhou Power Supply Company established a "Maker Alliance" R&D team, pioneering a technical approach in China where drones make direct contact with conductors for electrical testing and grounding wire operations. They built a closed-loop R&D system encompassing "theoretical research, electric field simulation, prototype iteration, field validation, and optimization." The team overcame critical challenges, including signal interference in strong electromagnetic fields, reliable adaptation to conductors of varying cross-sections, prevention of device detachment in high winds, and lightweight structural design. After dozens of simulation tests and four generations of product iterations over more than two years, they successfully developed the "Ohm Dual-Wing Drone Contact-Type Electrical Tester and Grounding Device," laying the foundation for this industry standard.
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