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Meet Scott Paul, one of Surry Power Station's drone pilots.
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Scott Paul shares what inspired him to work in the nuclear energy industry and how we're using drones at Surry Power Station.
Scott Paul, a Workweek coordinator, leads the station's drone program known as the Unmanned Nuclear Inspection Team (UNIT). In his role, Scott reviews upcoming maintenance projects and provides input on how drones could be used to support the work. Utilizing these innovative approaches provides another way to increase inspection efficiency while maintaining safe operations for our employees.
My role is to be the glue that holds everything together between the maintenance and the rest of the nuclear power station. I help with finding engineering support, any challenges that arise on a job or locating any additional resources for my peers. Everyone in the station knows if you call the workweek desk you will get the information you need.
This goes back to when I decided to join the Navy. Looking at all the different things to pick from based on my test scores, nuclear power presented the best options, both short and long term. Looking towards a career after my time in the military, I knew everyone needs electricity and working at a nuclear plant seemed like a good fit.
Our drone program is called the Unmanned Nuclear Inspection Team, or UNIT. We now have two drones for flying indoors, two submersibles for tank inspections, and one pipe crawler to conduct inspections through 8-inch pipes. I am the point of contact for anything drone related at Surry Power Station. The drone flights themselves are only about 15% of the job, the most important part is flight preparation; ensuring security has been notified, the equipment is safe to operate, and making sure everyone is aligned on the flight plan. Additionally, as a Workweek Coordinator I get to see the up-and-coming maintenance projects and provide input on potential drone uses for these jobs. This has helped push the program in the direction we need to make drones a part of our daily routine.
Our initial inspections were geared towards engineering industrial safety inspections. We have flown above the turbine building roof to inspect for leaks and to capture photos that pinpoint the cause of the leak. We even conduct environmental inspections, sometimes looking at bird nests on or nearby equipment to ensure there are no eggs or babies occupying the area.
Our biggest breakthrough story was when we were asked to go up to North Anna and fly in containment, at power, to look for a potential issue. Not only did we find the issue, but we were also able to capture detailed footage in a high dose field where personnel were not allowed to be at power. That single flight proved our newly founded drone program was an asset that was here to stay.
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