Remotely deployed and operated drone-based sealed tank inspections
AssigneeOceaneering International, Inc.
InventorsNikunj Patel, Samao Silva, Matthew Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A remotely deployed and operated drone-based sealed tank inspector comprises a direct replacement of normal hatch cover which is a sealed hatch cover comprising electrical penetrations, a sealing cable transit, and a predetermined set of eyelets for retention of lifting slings, and is handled using small hoist and parking stand. Drone-based inspections, including ultrasonic (UT) and visual inspections, may be remotely accomplished by deploying the remotely deployed and operated drone-based sealable tank inspector and using it for inspection and testing, including visual inspection, such as those required to be performed inside a sealed, inert-environment tank.
Claims16
A remotely deployed and operated drone-based sealable tank inspector, comprising:
- a) a hatch cover configured to seal a hatch opening of a sealable tank, comprising:
- i) a sealing cable transit comprising a predetermined set of electrical ports;
- ii) a predetermined set of eyelets for retention of a lifting sling;
- and
- iii) an umbilical disposed through at least one electrical port of the predetermined set of electrical ports and sealed by the sealing cable transit;
- b) a drone, configured to be deployed with the sealable tank, the drone comprising a predetermined set of inspection tools, the predetermined set of inspection tools comprising a drone camera;
- and
- c) a control station, comprising:
- i) a power supply operatively connected to the drone;
- ii) a data transceiver operatively in communication with the drone;
- iii) a pilot station operatively in communication with the drone;
- and
- iv) an inspection station, the inspection station comprising a controller operatively in communication with the drone and the predetermined set of inspection tools.
A method of performing drone-based inspection and test of a sealable tank using a remotely deployed and operated drone-based sealable tank inspector comprising a hatch cover configured to seal a hatch opening of a sealable tank where the hatch cover comprises a sealing cable transit comprising a predetermined set of electrical ports, a predetermined set of eyelets for retention of a lifting sling, and an umbilical disposed through at least one electrical port of the predetermined set of electrical ports and sealed by the sealing cable transit;
- a drone configured to be deployed with the sealable tank where the drone comprises a predetermined set of inspection tools that comprise a drone camera;
- and a control station that comprises a power supply operatively connected to the drone, a data transceiver operatively in communication with the drone, a pilot station operatively in communication with the drone, and an inspection station that comprises a controller operatively in communication with the drone and the predetermined set of inspection tools, the method comprising:
- a) remotely deploying a predetermined subset of components of the remotely deployed and operated drone-based sealable tank inspector proximate to a sealable tank disposed subsea;
- b) inserting the drone into the sealable tank;
- c) securing a tether onto the hatch cover;
- d) securing the hatch cover onto a hatch opening of the sealable tank;
- e) creating an inert-environment within the sealable tank;
- and
- f) performing a predetermined set of operations inside the sealable tank using the predetermined set of inspection tools.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.