Incorporate Wall Thickness Measurement Sensor Technology into Aerial Visual Inspection Intrinsically Safe Drones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019145763-A1
Application number	US-201715812725-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 14, 2017
Priority date	Nov 14, 2017
Publication date	May 16, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is an unmanned aerial vehicle for measuring the wall thickness of a structure. The unmanned aerial vehicle may be an intrinsically safe unmanned aerial vehicle and may include an arm having an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) coupled to one end of the arm and a power and control assembly may be coupled to the other end of the arm as a counterweight. The power and control assembly may include an activation device for the EMAT, such as a proximity sensor. The EMAT may be coupled to a spring that compresses in response to a force normal to the wall being measured to prevent excessive force from being applied to the structure and the EMAT. Methods of measuring wall thickness using an unmanned aerial vehicle and a retrofit kit for an unmanned aerial vehicle are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
a body having a top and a bottom; an arm coupled to the bottom of the body, the arm having a first end and a second end disposed opposite the first end; an electromagnetic acoustic transducer coupled to the arm at the first end, the electromagnetic acoustic transducer configured to measure a thickness of a wall; and a proximity sensor coupled to the arm at the second end, the proximity sensor configured to activate the electromagnetic acoustic transducer in response to detection of the wall.

2 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an ultrasonic sensor.

3 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , comprising an assembly coupled to the arm at the second end, the assembly comprising the proximity sensor.

4 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the assembly at the second end of the arm is configured to act as a counterweight to the electromagnetic acoustic transducer at the first end of the arm.

5 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the assembly comprises a battery.

6 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the assembly comprises a transmitter.

7 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , comprising a gimbal at the bottom of the body, wherein the arm is coupled to the bottom of the body via the gimbal.

8 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , comprising:
a gimbal at the top of the body; and a camera coupled to the top of the body via the gimbal.

9 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic acoustic transducer is coupled to a spring, the spring configured to compress in a direction normal to a surface of the wall when the electromagnetic acoustic transducer physically contacts the wall.

10 . The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises an intrinsically safe unmanned aerial vehicle.

11 . A method of determining a thickness of a wall, comprising:
positioning an unmanned aerial vehicle adjacent to the wall at a position, the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
a body having a top and a bottom;
an arm coupled to the bottom of the body, the arm having a first end and a second end disposed opposite the first end;
an electromagnetic acoustic transducer coupled to the arm at the first end, the electromagnetic acoustic transducer configured to measure the thickness of the wall; and
a proximity sensor coupled to the arm at the second end, the proximity sensor configured to activate the electromagnetic acoustic transducer in response to detection of the wall, wherein the position activates the sensor; and
measuring the thickness of the wall using the electromagnetic acoustic transducer.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor comprises an ultrasonic sensor.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises an assembly coupled to the arm at the second end, the assembly comprising the proximity sensor.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the assembly at the second end of the arm is configured to act as a counterweight to the electromagnetic acoustic transducer at the first end of the arm.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the assembly comprises a battery.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the assembly comprises a transmitter.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the assembly is connected to the electromagnetic acoustic transducer via a cable traversing a length of the arm and configured to provide for communication between the assembly and the electromagnetic acoustic transducer.

18 . The method of claim 11 , comprising a gimbal at the bottom of the body, wherein the arm is coupled to the bottom of the body via the gimbal.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electromagnetic acoustic transducer is coupled to a spring, the spring configured to compress in a direction normal to a surface of the wall when the electromagnetic acoustic transducer physically contacts the surface.

20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein positioning an unmanned aerial vehicle adjacent to the wall at the position comprising positioning the unmanned aerial vehicle adjacent such that the electromagnetic acoustic transducer is not in physical contact with the wall.

21 . The method of claim 11 , comprising transmitting the measured thickness to a computer remote from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

22 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the wall comprises a coating on a surface.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the coating comprises a metal oxide.

24 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises an intrinsically safe unmanned aerial vehicle.

25 . A retrofit kit for an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
an arm configured to couple to the unmanned aerial vehicle, the arm having a first end and a second end disposed opposite the first end; an electromagnetic acoustic transducer configured to be coupled to the arm at the first end, the electromagnetic acoustic transducer configured to measure a thickness of a wall; and a proximity sensor coupled to the arm at the second end, the proximity sensor configured to activate the electromagnetic acoustic transducer in response to detection of the wall.

26 . The retrofit kit of claim 25 , wherein the proximity sensor comprises an ultrasonic sensor.

27 . The retrofit kit of claim 25 , comprising an assembly coupled to the arm at the second end, the assembly comprising the proximity sensor.

28 . The retrofit kit of claim 27 , wherein the assembly at the second end of the arm is configured to act as a counterweight to the electromagnetic acoustic transducer at the first end of the arm.

29 . The retrofit kit of claim 25 , wherein the arm is configured couple to the unmanned aerial vehicle via a gimbal.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al-Jabr Saad A

Classifications

• G01B17/02 Primary

  for measuring thickness · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/104

  using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G01S15/08

  Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S15/46) · CPC title