Systems, methods and apparatus for temperature control and active cooling of an inspection robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12302499-B2
Application number	US-202217752177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2022
Priority date	Apr 20, 2021
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for temperature control and active cooling of an inspection robot are disclosed. An example apparatus may include a temperature determination circuit to interpret an inspection temperature value, a temperature management circuit to determine a temperature management command in response to the inspection temperature value, and a temperature response circuit to provide the temperature management command to a temperature management device associated with an inspection robot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a temperature determination circuit structured to interpret an inspection temperature value;
a temperature management circuit structured to determine a temperature management command in response to the inspection temperature value,
the temperature management command comprising at least one of a recirculation valve command or a routing valve command; and
a temperature response circuit structured to provide the temperature management command to a temperature management device associated with an inspection robot,
wherein the temperature management device comprises at least one of (a) a recirculation valve configured to modulate a recirculation rate of a couplant within a housing of the inspection robot or (b) a routing valve configured to adjust a couplant flow routing of the couplant through the inspection robot;
wherein when the temperature management device comprises the recirculation valve, the temperature management command comprises the recirculation valve command and the recirculation valve is response to the recirculation valve command; and
wherein when the temperature management device comprises the routing valve, the temperature management command comprises the routing valve command and the routing valve is responsive to the routing valve command.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the temperature management command comprises the recirculation valve command, and
wherein the temperature management device comprises the recirculation valve configured to modulate the recirculation rate of the couplant within the housing of the inspection robot, and responsive to the recirculation valve command.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
an inspection robot comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing comprises a couplant port configured to receive a couplant from a couplant source, and defining a first extent of a couplant flow path, and wherein the housing further comprises a shaped bottom surface at least partially defining a couplant retaining chamber, wherein the couplant retaining chamber defines a second extent of the couplant flow path;
a payload comprising at least one sensor, the payload coupled to the housing and positioned such that the at least one sensor selectively engages an inspection surface when the inspection robot is positioned on the inspection surface;
a drive module coupled to the housing, the drive module comprising at least one wheel positioned such that the at least one sensor when the inspection robot is positioned on the inspection surface, and a drive motor operatively coupled to the at least one wheel:

a controller comprising the temperature determination circuit, the temperature management circuit, and the temperature response circuit;
the recirculation valve configured to modulate the recirculation rate of the couplant within the housing of the inspection robot;
a recirculation pump configured to modulate the recirculation rate of the couplant within the housing of the inspection robot;
the routing valve configured to adjust the couplant flow routing of the couplant flow path; and
at least one of a pump or a valve associated with the couplant source, wherein the at least one of the pump or the valve are configured to modulate a flow rate of the couplant from the couplant source.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
wherein the drive motor comprises a heat generating component,
wherein the inspection robot further comprises at least one heat generating component selected from the components consisting of:
a main board;
a payload board;
a drive module board;
a modular electronic board;
a power converter; and
a data acquisition circuit, and

wherein the at least one heat generating component is thermally coupled to the couplant retaining chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
an interior couplant retaining chamber positioned within the housing, the interior couplant retaining chamber at least selectively fluidly interposed between the couplant port and the couplant retaining chamber,
wherein the at least one heat generating component is thermally coupled to the interior couplant retaining chamber, and, wherein the routing valve configured to selectively bypass the interior couplant retaining chamber in the couplant flow path.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the temperature management command comprises a data acquisition adjustment value, and
wherein the temperature management device comprises a data acquisition circuit responsive to the data acquisition adjustment value to adjust a rate of data collection from a payload of the inspection robot.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the temperature management command comprises the routing valve command, and
wherein the temperature management device comprises the routing valve configured to adjust the couplant flow routing of the couplant through the inspection robot.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
wherein the routing valve command comprises one of a first couplant flow regime or a second couplant flow regime,
wherein the first couplant flow regime comprises, in order, the couplant in thermal contact with a drive motor, and then the couplant in thermal contact with a first electronic board positioned within a housing of the inspection robot, and
wherein the second couplant flow regime comprises the couplant in thermal contact with a second electronic board positioned within the housing of the inspection robot.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
wherein the second couplant flow regime further comprises, in order, the couplant in a first thermal contact with the first electronic board, the couplant in thermal contact with the drive motor, and then the couplant in a second thermal contact with the second electronic board.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the temperature management command comprises an inspection position command, and wherein the temperature management device comprises a drive module responsive to the inspection position command, wherein the drive module is configured to move the inspection robot on an inspection surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 ,
wherein the temperature management command comprises a couplant flow rate command, and
wherein the temperature management device comprises at least one of:
the recirculation valve configured to modulate the recirculation rate of the couplant within the housing of the inspection robot, and responsive to the couplant flow rate command; or
a recirculation pump positioned on the inspection robot, and responsive to the couplant flow rate command.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the temperature management device further comprises at least one of a pump or a valve associated with a couplant source configured to provide the couplant to the inspection robot, wherein the at least one of the pump or the valve is responsive to the couplant flow rate command.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the temperature management command comprises a couplant temperature command, and wherein the temperature management device comprises a couplant source configured to provide the couplant to the inspection robot, wherein the couplant source is responsive to the couplant temperature command.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the temperature management command comprises an operational limit command, and wherein the temperature management device comprises at least one heat generating component of the inspection robot, wherein the at least one heat genera

Assignees

• Gecko Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Bryner Edward A
• Jourde Dillon R
• Cho Edwin H
• Cho Mark
• Binger Michael A
• Low Kevin Y
• Westenberg Samuel Theodore
• Trogu Francesco H

Classifications

• H05K2201/10151

  Sensor · CPC title

• H05K1/18 Primary

  structurally associated with non-printed electric components (H05K1/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F2200/201

  Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid · CPC title

• G06F1/206

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• G01N2291/2698

  Other discrete objects, e.g. bricks · CPC title