Tanks, Vessels & Confined Space Inspections

Mining, Quarrying & Confined Spaces | Internal Inspections

Inspect the inside without unnecessarily sending people inside.

Industrial tanks, vessels, silos and enclosed structures often require inspection in locations where physical access is difficult, expensive and potentially hazardous.

Conventional inspections may involve confined-space entry, scaffolding, cleaning, isolation and extensive safety arrangements, sometimes simply to establish the visible condition of an asset.

Specialist collision-tolerant drones can provide an alternative method of gathering high-resolution imagery and other suitable inspection data, potentially reducing the need for personnel to enter during initial assessments.

Explore Confined Space Inspections

Flybotix ASIO X, a specialist inspection drone designed for accessing challenging indoor environments.

The Challenge

Critical inspections in difficult and potentially hazardous environments.

Tanks, vessels and enclosed industrial assets can present difficult inspection conditions. Restricted openings, poor lighting, elevated structures and internal obstructions may prevent straightforward visual access.

Depending on the facility, there may also be hazards involving oxygen deficiency, residual substances, toxic or flammable atmospheres, moving equipment and difficult emergency access.

Establishing suitable conditions for personnel entry can require significant planning, specialist personnel, isolation arrangements and temporary access equipment.

Purpose-designed inspection drones may help asset owners gather the initial visual information needed to assess accessible surfaces, identify potential concerns and plan targeted further inspection.

Questions That Matter

Can personnel entry be reduced?

Evaluate whether an inspection drone can collect sufficient initial visual information without entering the space.

What condition are the internal surfaces in?

Document accessible corrosion, coating deterioration, deposits, physical damage and structural features.

Can difficult access be avoided?

Identify whether some initial observations can be gathered without scaffolding or elevated access arrangements.

Where is closer examination required?

Use the inspection evidence to help engineering teams prioritise physical access, testing and maintenance.

Drone Applications

Where can specialist drones support internal inspections?

From large storage tanks and industrial vessels to silos, chambers and elevated structures, suitable inspection drones can provide information from areas that may otherwise require challenging physical access.

01 / Storage Infrastructure

Industrial Storage Tanks

Document accessible internal tank walls, roofs, supports, coatings and visible deterioration in appropriately prepared structures.

02 / Process Equipment

Vessels & Process Chambers

Capture detailed imagery of suitable isolated process vessels, chambers and associated internal components to support engineering assessment.

03 / Bulk Materials

Silos, Hoppers & Bunkers

Inspect accessible internal walls, supporting members, deposits and structural features, provided material movement and engulfment hazards are controlled.

04 / Industrial Processing

Kilns, Furnaces & Industrial Chambers

Inspect suitable cooled and isolated process enclosures for visible lining damage, deterioration, deposits and areas requiring further assessment.

05 / Vertical Structures

Chimneys, Stacks & Flues

Specialist inspection drones can assist with visual surveys of suitable industrial chimneys, stacks and internal flues, documenting accessible linings, joints and structural features.

06 / Elevated Features

High-Level Internal Structures

Obtain visual information from accessible elevated beams, roof structures, supports and components that may otherwise require additional access equipment.

07 / Digital Records

Internal Mapping & Documentation

Where supported by the selected drone and environment, collect spatial data or organised imagery for condition records and internal asset documentation.

08 / Asset Management

Repeat Inspections & Defect Records

Maintain dated imagery and documented observations to support engineering review, planned maintenance and comparisons between inspections.

From Planning to Inspection Evidence

Assess the environment. Inspect remotely. Report clearly.

A successful internal inspection requires a suitable aircraft, competent operators, an understanding of the asset and a safe, documented inspection method.

01. Assess & Prepare

Review the asset, hazards, entry points, operating conditions, isolation requirements and equipment suitability.

02. Inspect & Capture

Deploy an appropriate system to document accessible surfaces, internal structures and areas of concern.

03. Review & Report

Organise imagery and observations for engineering review and decisions about further inspection or maintenance.

Technology in Action

Why conventional drones are not always suitable for internal inspections.

Enclosed industrial structures can be GPS-denied environments with limited space, poor lighting, reflective surfaces and obstacles that make conventional aerial inspection difficult.

Collision-tolerant design: Specialist drones may incorporate protective cages or other structures that help protect propellers when contact occurs with suitable surfaces.

Indoor flight capability: Appropriate sensors, flight control systems and trained operators help manage flights where satellite positioning is unavailable.

Integrated lighting: Inspection lighting provides visibility of internal surfaces where natural light is limited or absent.

High-resolution visual data: Imaging systems can document corrosion, deposits, physical damage and accessible structural features.

Internal mapping: Some specialist systems provide spatial data or mapping functionality when operating conditions permit.

Equipment suitability must still be assessed for each site, particularly where flammable atmospheres, hazardous materials or other unusual conditions may exist.

Inspection Technology Explained

CAGE

Protected Airframe

Helps manage incidental contact with suitable internal surfaces.

NAV

Indoor Flight Control

Designed to support operation in challenging GPS-denied environments.

LED

Integrated Lighting

Provides illumination for inspection of internal structures and surfaces.

RGB

High-Resolution Imaging

Captures visual evidence of deterioration, damage and structural features.

Optional Spatial Mapping

Selected systems can support spatial documentation of suitable enclosed assets.

Understanding Confined Space Inspections

Does using a drone eliminate confined-space risks?

Drones can reduce the need for personnel to enter confined spaces during certain inspection activities, but this does not eliminate the hazards associated with the environment.

What Drone Inspection May Reduce

Some personnel entry requirements, scaffolding, rope access, elevated work and other access arrangements associated with initial visual inspections.

Remote imagery may also help identify where targeted physical access and further testing are necessary.

What Still Requires Control

Hazardous atmospheres, isolation, stored energy, residual materials, equipment recovery and emergency arrangements still require proper assessment.

Drone imagery cannot replace non-destructive testing, wall-thickness measurements, specialist engineering examinations or applicable statutory inspections.

Important safety consideration:
A collision-tolerant drone is not automatically certified for use in explosive atmospheres. Any hazardous-area classification, applicable ATEX requirements, isolation, atmospheric hazards and equipment suitability must be evaluated before deployment. Confined-space entry, where required, must follow appropriate safety procedures and emergency arrangements.

Specialist Inspection Equipment

Purpose-built drones for environments conventional aircraft cannot easily access.

Specialist internal inspection platforms are designed to support work in enclosed structures, where collision protection, suitable navigation, lighting and reliable communications are important.

Flybotix ASIO X specialist collision-tolerant indoor inspection drone

Flybotix ASIO X
An example of a specialist drone platform developed for indoor industrial inspection. Equipment suitability depends on the asset, inspection objectives and operating environment.

Flybotix ASIO X used for inspection inside an industrial chimney

Internal Chimney & Stack Inspections
Specialist inspection drones can help capture visual information within suitable vertical structures, potentially reducing the need for access equipment during preliminary assessment.

Choosing the right system:
Collision tolerance, inspection camera performance, lighting, navigation, communications and physical size all influence suitability. No single platform is appropriate for every confined-space application. Drone-based solutions should be compared with conventional methods and other robotic inspection systems where necessary.

Why It Matters

Less unnecessary entry. More focused inspection. Better asset information.

Remote internal inspection can support safer and more efficient asset management when the environment and inspection objectives are suitable.

Reduce Personnel Exposure

Suitable drone inspections may reduce the need for personnel to enter difficult or potentially hazardous environments for initial visual assessments.

Improve Maintenance Planning

Inspection imagery helps identify areas where closer testing, cleaning, physical examination or repair activities may be required.

Maintain Useful Digital Records

Organised photographs, observations and suitable spatial data support engineering review, maintenance planning and future comparisons.

Planning Internal Drone Inspections

Start with the asset, the hazards and what you need to know.

A useful confined-space inspection starts by understanding the asset and the information needed, rather than selecting a particular drone first.

Asset condition: Determine whether cleaning, isolation, cooling, draining or other preparation is required.

Atmospheric hazards: Consider oxygen deficiency, hazardous gases, flammable atmospheres and any applicable equipment requirements.

Physical access: Assess openings, obstructions, internal dimensions, available flight space and navigation challenges.

Communications: Evaluate signal coverage, visual references, lighting and potential transmission limitations.

Recovery arrangements: Establish procedures for loss of communications, equipment damage or a drone becoming trapped.

Inspection outputs: Agree the required level of visual detail, reporting and any follow-up engineering examination.

Planning Considerations

Is your asset suitable for drone inspection?

What type of asset is involved?

Tank, vessel, silo, chimney, process chamber or another enclosed structure.

Can the environment be made suitable?

Review hazardous substances, isolation, temperature, stored energy and atmospheric conditions.

Can the drone access the required areas?

Assess entry dimensions, geometry, obstacles, lighting and signal availability.

What evidence is required?

Define inspection photographs, asset references, spatial records and reporting detail.

Who will interpret the findings?

Confirm responsibility for specialist assessment, follow-up inspection and maintenance decisions.

Discover What’s Possible

Could specialist drone inspection reduce the need for confined-space entry?

From tanks and process vessels to silos, chimneys and enclosed industrial structures, remote inspection technology may provide an effective way to gather valuable asset information while reducing some conventional access requirements.

Talk to Iprosurv about professional inspection solutions, specialist drone equipment, familiarisation, training and operational consultancy. We can help you consider suitable options for your organisation.

Discuss Your Inspection Requirements

Call 0114 4055 007