Robotic subsurface impact protection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11630460-B2
Application number	US-202117535366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2021
Priority date	Jun 17, 2020
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A robotic vehicle for moving above ground while fabricating a subsurface polymer layer to protect an underground structure is provided. The robotic vehicle includes: a body; a rotational member that contacts the ground and moves the body over the ground; a ripper assembly having a proximal end that moves with the body, and a distal end that moves underground at a fabrication depth in response to the movement of the proximal end while fabricating the polymer layer; a ground penetrating radar (GPR) that locates and measures a depth of the underground structure below the ground; and a computerized control system that controls the rotational member, the distal end of the ripper assembly, and the GPR to move the body over the located underground structure while tracking the location of the underground structure and fabricating the polymer layer at the fabrication depth and above the measured depth of the underground structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic vehicle for moving above ground while fabricating a subsurface polymer layer to protect an underground structure having a longitudinal direction, the robotic vehicle comprising:
a body for moving over the ground;
a rotational member coupled to the body and configured to contact the ground and to move and steer the body over the ground in the longitudinal direction during the fabricating of the subsurface polymer layer;
a ripper assembly having a proximal end coupled to and configured to move with the body, and a distal end coupled to the proximal end and configured to move underground at a fabrication depth in response to the movement of the proximal end while fabricating the polymer layer in the longitudinal direction;
a ground penetrating radar (GPR) configured to locate and measure a depth of the underground structure below the ground during the fabricating of the polymer layer in the longitudinal direction; and
a computerized control system (CCS) configured to protect the underground structure by controlling the rotational member, the distal end of the ripper assembly, and the GPR to move and steer the body in the longitudinal direction over the located underground structure while tracking the location of the underground structure and fabricating the polymer layer over the located underground structure in the longitudinal direction at the fabrication depth and above the measured depth of the underground structure.

2. The robotic vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the ripper assembly comprises:
a ripper blade at the distal end and configured to fabricate the polymer layer by injecting compressed air and molten polymer into the subsurface at the fabrication depth; and
a ripper arm coupled to the body at the proximal end and to the ripper blade at the distal end, and configured to supply the compressed air and the molten polymer to the ripper blade during the fabricating of the polymer layer.

3. The robotic vehicle of claim 2 , wherein:
the ripper blade is adjustable in longitudinal tilt angle while moving underground to vary the fabrication depth during the fabricating of the polymer layer; and
the CCS is configured to control the fabricating of the polymer layer at a desired height above the measured depth of the underground structure by controlling the longitudinal tilt angle of the ripper blade during the fabricating of the polymer layer.

4. The robotic vehicle of claim 2 , wherein:
the ripper blade is adjustable in lateral tilt angle while moving underground to vary an orientation of the polymer layer during the fabricating of the polymer layer;
the distal end of the ripper assembly comprises an infrared camera configured to image the orientation of the polymer layer during the fabricating of the polymer layer; and
the CCS is configured to control the fabricating of the polymer layer to have a desired orientation by controlling the lateral tilt angle of the ripper blade while using the infrared imaging of the orientation during the fabricating of the polymer layer.

5. The robotic vehicle of claim 2 , further comprising:
a polymer storage container coupled to the body and configured to store thermoplastic polymer;
a polymer melting unit coupled to the body and configured to melt the stored thermoplastic polymer into the molten polymer and supply the molten polymer to the ripper arm;
a compressed air storage container coupled to the body and configured to store the compressed air and supply the stored compressed air to the ripper arm; and
a battery coupled to the body and configured to supply electric power to the robotic vehicle,
wherein the robotic vehicle is self-contained and configured to fabricate the polymer layer using the battery as its principal source of power.

6. The robotic vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the distal end of the ripper assembly is adjustable in depth below the ground while moving underground to vary the fabrication depth during the fabricating of the polymer layer; and
the CCS is configured to control the fabricating of the polymer layer at a desired height above the underground structure by adjusting the depth of the distal end of the ripper assembly during the fabricating of the polymer layer.

7. The robotic vehicle of claim 6 , wherein:
the distal end of the ripper assembly comprises an ultrasonic sensor configured to measure a height of the fabrication depth above the underground structure during the fabricating of the polymer layer; and
the CCS controls the fabricating of the polymer layer at the desired height above the underground structure by using the measured height during the fabricating of the polymer layer.

8. The robotic vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising a depth gauge configured to measure the fabrication depth during the fabrication of the polymer layer, wherein:
the distal end of the ripper assembly comprises an infrared camera configured to measure a thickness of the polymer layer during the fabricating of the polymer layer;
the CCS is configured to control the fabricating of the polymer layer to have a desired thickness by using the measured thickness of the polymer layer during the fabricating of the polymer layer; and
the CCS is configured to generate a thickness variation profile of the polymer layer by tracking the measured fabrication depth and the measured thickness of the polymer layer over time during the fabricating of the polymer layer.

9. The robotic vehicle of claim 8 , wherein:
the GPR is configured to generate an elevation profile of distinct layers below the ground during the fabricating of the polymer layer, the elevation profile including respective depth, thickness, and density measurements of the distinct layers, the distinct layers including the underground structure, the polymer layer, and a subsurface layer above the polymer layer;
the CCS is configured to estimate a subsurface load on the polymer layer during the fabricating of the polymer layer by using the measured thickness and the measured density of the subsurface layer above the polymer layer; and
the CCS is configured to set the desired thickness of the polymer layer during the fabricating of the polymer layer based on the estimated subsurface load on the polymer layer.

10. The robotic vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising an infrared camera configured to image a thermal distribution of a top surface of the polymer layer during the fabricating of the polymer layer, wherein the CCS is configured to use the imaged thermal distribution of the top surface of the polymer layer to verify thermal integrity of the polymer layer or to adjust the fabricating of the polymer layer to improve the thermal integrity of the polymer layer.

11. An automated method of protecting an underground structure by fabricating a subsurface polymer layer in a longitudinal direction of the underground structure using a moving robotic vehicle under control of a computerized control system (CCS) of the robotic vehicle, the method comprising:
moving and steering a body of the robotic vehicle over the ground in the longitudinal direction by controlling, using the CCS, a rotational member of the robotic vehicle that is coupled to the body and contacts the ground;
moving a proximal end of a ripper assembly of the robotic vehicle with the body, the proximal end being coupled to the body;
moving a distal end of the ripper assembly underground at a fabrication depth in response to the moving of the proximal end, the distal end being coupled to the proximal end;
locating and measuring a depth of the underground structure using a ground penetrating radar (GPR) of the robotic vehicle;
moving and steering the body in the longitudinal direct

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Hussain Iqbal
• Zubail Abdullah

Classifications

• G05D1/0094 Primary

  involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target · CPC title

• E02F5/10 Primary

  with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables (laying pipes per se F16L1/00, making pipes in situ F16L1/038; laying electric cables per se H02G1/06; {drainage device- laying apparatus E02B11/02}) · CPC title

• E02F5/32

  Rippers {(E02F5/106 takes precedence, ripper or scarifying teeth mounted on blades E02F3/8152; ripper tips E02F9/2875)} · CPC title

• G01V3/12

  operating with electromagnetic waves {(operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005)} · CPC title

• F16L1/11

  for the detection or protection of pipes in the ground · CPC title