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Study of the Requirements and Resources for Transmission Line UAV Nest Replenishment
Wenbin Wu, Weihao Zhang, Zhuolei Chen and Tengfei Han

The demand for UAV nest resupply on transmission lines and the distribution of its resources are the main topics of this study. The nest, which serves as the central facility for UAV operation and supply, is becoming increasingly crucial for its logical planning and configuration as UAV technology is used increasingly in transmission line inspection and maintenance. The report explains the mission requirements of UAVs and their reliance on the nest supply after first analyzing the application scenarios of UAVs in transmission line inspection. A model for UAV nest siting and resource allocation is developed based on mission requirements. This model considers the endurance, inspection cycle, and geographic environment of the UAV and suggests a method to optimize the allocation of nest resources. The approach seeks to minimize operation costs and increase mission completion efficiency by optimizing the nests’ number, placement, and resupply capacity. Lastly, a simulation study is conducted alongside a real-world case to confirm the benefits and suitability of the suggested approach in various scenarios.

Keywords: transmission line; unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); nest; supply demand; resource allocation; optimization model; inspection task