US 12,066,403 B2
Systems, methods and apparatus for in-service tank inspections
Jerome Vaganay, Norwell, MA (US); Eric Levitt, Lincolnville, ME (US); and William O'Halloran, Boston, MA (US)
Assigned to Square Robot, Inc., Marlborough, MA (US)
Appl. No. 17/778,649
Filed by Square Robot, Inc., Boston, MA (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 19, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/061175
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 20, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/102079, PCT Pub. Date May 27, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/938,146, filed on Nov. 20, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0003687 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 27/90 (2021.01); F17C 13/12 (2006.01); G01B 7/06 (2006.01); G01N 27/9013 (2021.01)
CPC G01N 27/902 (2013.01) [F17C 13/12 (2013.01); G01B 7/10 (2013.01); G01N 27/9006 (2013.01); G01N 27/9073 (2013.01); F17C 2260/015 (2013.01); F17C 2260/036 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system to inspect a tank containing a flammable fluid, comprising:
a vehicle comprising a propeller, a battery, a control unit, an inspection device, and a ranging device;
the battery of the vehicle providing power to the propeller, the control unit, the inspection device, and the ranging device;
the control unit generating, based on data received from the ranging device, a map of the tank, and determining a first position of the vehicle on the map of the tank;
the propeller of the vehicle, electrically connected to the battery, moving the vehicle through the flammable fluid in the tank;
the inspection device, electrically connected to the battery, for obtaining inspection data indicative of a quality of a tank wall;
the control unit, electrically connected to the battery, the ranging device, the propeller, and the inspection device, configured to:
cause the propeller to move the vehicle from the first position to a second position within the tank;
obtain, via the inspection device, first inspection data indicative of the quality of the tank wall at a portion of the tank at the second position within the tank;
store, in a data structure in memory of the vehicle, the first inspection data corresponding to the second position within the tank;
an external computing device located external to the tank and configured to:
receive the inspection data comprising the first inspection data;
determine, based on the first inspection data, a defect diameter at the second position; and
identify, based on a lookup in a defect table customized for the inspection device, an amount of wall loss.