Systems and methods for position verification for inspection and repairs

#Non-destructive testing is used throughout construction, power generation, and aeronautics industries in both manufacture/fabrication and during life of use, where various testing protocols and devices are used during maintenance, at set intervals, or following operations-impacting events. For example, ultrasonic testing allows non-destructive verification of surfaces and interiors of various structures whose integrity may be important for operations and safety. Ultrasonic testing in particular can be used by portable devices that use acoustic signals to determine a tested structure's integrity, shape, internal configuration, etc. Non-destructive testing can also include visual inspection, non-visual electromagnetic inspection (like eddy current or magnetic flux leakage), radiographic inspection with x-ray or gamma radiation, magnetic resonance inspection, etc.

#Whenever inspecting or testing components for failure, results typically must be paired with a relatively accurate location of the tested structure in order to verify integrity and dimensions at expected locations as well as give accurate position of detected anomalies. Where a tested structure is inaccessible or difficult to visualize by a human operator or visually-verifying program, indirect methods of verifying tested structure location can be used. For example, a testing probe may be locked on a set of tracks at known positions to verify probe position and then verify tested structure position. Or a testing probe may be positioned at verifiable locations via RFID or optical tags to derive tested structure position. Or, for example, a robotic scanner may be tracked from a starting location with the use of optical and/or magnetic encoders. Resolvers may also be used, and resolver signals can be converted to encoded position values.

#Example embodiments include probes capable of inspecting and/or repairing a remote object in a nuclear power plant. Example devices include a receiver configured to receive signal data associated with the object at a position of interest. For example, eddy current probes, ultrasonic testers, video cameras, etc. may all be used as example devices. Example devices may be freeform with their own locomotion, such as a drone or wheeled robot, or attached to the object via gearing or on a work trolley, for example. Example embodiment devices include or are connected to a computer processor configured to execute at least a portion of example methods of positional verification. Multiple devices may be used across several separate operations to achieve a same precise position among all devices at different instances.

#Example embodiments will become more apparent by describing, in detail, the attached drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference numerals, which are given by way of illustration only and thus do not limit the terms which they depict.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic of an example embodiment probe.

#FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an example method.

#Because this is a patent document, general broad rules of construction should be applied when reading it. Everything described and shown in this document is an example of subject matter falling within the scope of the claims, appended below. Any specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely for purposes of describing how to make and use examples. Several different embodiments and methods not specifically disclosed herein may fall within the claim scope; as such, the claims may be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only examples set forth herein.

#It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited to any order by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another; where there are “second” or higher ordinals, there merely must be that many number of elements, without necessarily any difference or other relationship. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments or methods. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The use of “etc.” is defined as “et cetera” and indicates the inclusion of all other elements belonging to the same group of the preceding items, in any “and/or” combination(s).

#It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected,” “coupled,” “mated,” “attached,” “fixed,” etc. to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected,” “directly coupled,” etc. to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). Similarly, a term such as “communicatively connected” includes all variations of information exchange and routing between two electronic devices, including intermediary devices, networks, etc., connected wirelessly or not.