METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING USING AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

• US 20180120196A1
• Filed: 10/31/2016
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Georgeson, Gary, Lea, Scott, Troy, James J.
• Application Number:
  US15/338,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20180120196A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/19 for use as targets or decoys
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/26 for manufacturing, inspections or repairs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0008 of bridges
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0016 of aircraft wings or blades
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/88 Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0214 Airborne
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/18 Investigating the presence of flaws defects or foreign matter
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/90 using eddy currents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/043 in the interior, e.g. by shear waves
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

Provided is a nondestructive inspection (“NDI”) system that includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) comprising a body structure, the body structure comprising one or more support structures where each of the one or more support structures comprise a releasable end structure; and one or more NDI sensors integrated to a respective releasable end structure. The NDI system can also include a location tracking system that can determine a position, an orientation, or both of the UAV and/or one or more NDI sensors relative to a structure being inspected.

Claims

1. A nondestructive inspection (“

NDI”

) system, the system comprising;

an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

) comprising a body structure, the body structure comprising one or more support structures where each of the one or more support structures comprise a releasable end structure; and

one or more NDI sensors integrated to a respective releasable end structure.

2. The NDI system of claim 1, wherein the UAV comprises a release controller operable to provide a control signal to the one or more support structures to release the one or more NDI sensors from the releasable end structure.

3. The NDI system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more NDI sensors are operable to sense one or more NDI sensing modalities.

4. The NDI system of claim 1, comprising a tether operable to provide one or more of:

power to at least one of the one or more NDI sensors, control signals to at least one of the one or more NDI sensors, and a safety and retrieval mechanism.

5. The NDI system of claim 1, wherein the one or more NDI sensors comprise a mounting mechanism that is operable to secure the one or more NDI sensors to a structure to be inspected.

6. The NDI system of claim 5, further comprising a location tracking system operable to determine a position, an orientation, or both the position and the orientation, of at least one of the one or more NDI sensors relative to the structure using a coordinate system of the structure.

7. The NDI system of claim 5, wherein the mounting mechanism is magnetic-based, vacuum-based, electrostatic-based, gripper-based, or adhesive-based.

8. The NDI system of claim 1, wherein the UAV is operable to move using a predetermined flight path that is updated using position and orientation data obtained from a tracking system or controlled using a remote control system.

9. The NDI system of claim 3, wherein the one or more NDI sensing modalities comprise contact-based NDI sensing.

10. The NDI system of claim 1, wherein the one or more NDI sensors comprises at least one of:

eddy current sensors, ultrasonic sensors, acoustic sensors, mechanical impedance sensors, optical sensors, x-ray backscatter sensors, computed tomography sensors, surface roughness sensors, IR thermography, microwave sensors, and terahertz sensors.

11. The NDI system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more support structures comprises a manipulator arm.

12. The NDI system of claim 11, wherein the manipulator arm comprises a gripper, wherein the gripper is operable to manipulate the one or more NDI sensors relative to a structure being inspected.

13. The NDI system of claim 5, wherein the one or more NDI sensors are moved relative to the structure to be inspected during data collection.

14. The NDI system of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more support structures is configured with one or more maintenance tools, wherein the one or more maintenance tools comprise a sander, a drill, a brush, a paint sprayer, a marker, an ink stamp, a laser, or a target applicator.

15. A nondestructive inspection (“

NDI”

) system, the system comprising;

a housing configured to house components comprising;

one or more NDI sensors operable to measure one or more properties of a structure;

a mounting mechanism operable to secure or release the housing to the structure; and

a transceiver operable to send measurement data from the one or more NDI sensors,

wherein the housing is sized to be delivered to a target location of the structure by an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

).

16. The NDI system of claim 15, wherein the one or more NDI sensors comprises one or more of:

eddy current sensors, ultrasonic sensors, acoustic sensors, mechanical impedance sensors, optical sensors, x-ray backscatter sensors, computed tomography sensors, surface roughness sensors, IR thermography, microwave sensors, and terahertz sensors.

17. The NDI system of claim 15, wherein the mounting mechanism is one of magnetic-based, vacuum-based, electrostatic-based, adhesive-based, and gripper-based.

18. The NDI system of claim 15, further comprising a power supply operable to supply power to the one or more NDI sensors.

19. The NDI system of claim 15, further comprising a tether operable to provide one or more of:

power to at least one of the one or more NDI sensors, control signals to at least one of the one or more NDI sensors, and a safety and retrieval mechanism.

20. The NDI system of claim 15, further comprising an impact protection structure that is operable to provide impact protection for at least a portion of the housing.

21. The NDI system of claim 20, wherein the impact protection structure comprises an inflatable structure or a floatation structure.

22. The NDI system of claim 15, further comprising a locomotion mechanism operable to move the housing along a surface of the structure.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor causing the processor to perform a method for nondestructive inspection (“

NDI”

) of a structure, the method comprising;

directing an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

) to a target location of the structure;

physically securing the UAV or an end-effector to the target location;

performing NDI of the target location using one or more NDI sensors; and

physically releasing the UAV or end-effector from the target location.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises providing a control signal to deactivate a rotor of the UAV prior to the performing step.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the physically securing is magnetic-based, vacuum-based, electrostatic-based, adhesive-based, or gripper-based.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises deploying at least one of the one or more NDI sensors onto the target location.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises tracking a position, an orientation, or both the position and the orientation relative to the target location using a location positioning system.