US 11,892,419 B2
Drone-based neutron backscatter inspection system
Ahmad A. Al-Shammari, Dammam (SA); Soliman A. Walaie, Dammam (SA); and Ahmed M. Al-Ghamdi, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Mar. 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/655,286.
Prior Publication US 2023/0296537 A1, Sep. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 23/204 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01)
CPC G01N 23/204 (2013.01) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64U 2201/00 (2023.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for inspection of a target asset comprising:
a drone including:
a body;
one or more propellers coupled to the body that enable the drone to fly; and
an electronic control unit having a hardware processor, the electronic control unit coupled to or positioned within the body of the drone and coupled to the one or more propellers;
a neutron emission source coupled to the body of the drone, communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit, and arranged to radiate neutrons exteriorly toward the target asset; and
a neutron detector coupled to the body of the drone and also communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit;
wherein the electronic control unit is configured by code executing in the processor to control navigation of the drone to reach the target asset, to activate the neutron emission source to radiate neutrons onto the asset and to gather data from the neutron detector which detects neutrons backscattered from the asset, indicative of a state of the asset and materials contained within the asset.