Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) small unmanned aerial system for monitoring oil and gas pipelines

• US 8,880,241 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Farrokh Mohamadi
• Original Assignee: Farrokh Mohamadi
• Inventors: Mohamadi, Farrokh
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/772,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/00 Aircraft capable of landing or taking-off vertically, e.g. vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft rotorcraft B64C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/37 Charging when not in flight
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/90 Launching from or landing on platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/248 generated by satellites, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/661 Docking at a base station delivering or retrieving payloads G05D1/667
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2105/89 for inspecting structures, e.g. wind mills, bridges, buildings or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2107/70 Industrial sites, e.g. warehouses or factories
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2109/254 Flying platforms, e.g. multicopters

Abstract

Extended-range monitoring and surveillance of facilities and infrastructure—such as oil, water, and gas pipelines and power lines—employs autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capable, small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) aircraft and docking platforms for accommodating the sUAS aircraft. Monitoring and surveillance of facilities using one or more embodiments may be performed continually by the sUAS flying autonomously along a pre-programmed flight path. The sUAS aircraft may have an integrated gas collector and analyzer unit, and capability for downloading collected data and analyzer information from the sUAS aircraft to the docking platforms. The gas collector and analyzer unit may provide remote sensing and in-situ investigation of leaks and other environmental concerns as part of a “standoff” (e.g., remote from operators of the system or the facilities) survey that can keep field operators out of harm'"'"'s way and monitor health of the environment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an aircraft, including;

a plurality of wing unit propellers for vertical takeoff and landing;

a control system for controlling flight of the aircraft autonomously;

a sensor section; and

a power manager unit; and

a docking platform, including;

a data exchange unit, wherein the data exchange unit communicates with the sensor section of the aircraft during docking of the aircraft at the docking platform; and

a power supply unit that supplies power to the power manager unit of the aircraft during docking of the aircraft at the docking platform; and

wherein;

the sensor section of the aircraft performs an auto-sensing of data transfer task completion and battery charge completion for resuming travel to a next docking platform.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the docking platform is located at a global positioning system (GPS) waypoint; and

the GPS waypoint is programmed into the flight control system so that the aircraft flies under guidance of the flight control system to the docking platform.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein

the sensor section includes an integrated gas detector and analyzer and digital signal processing.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein

the sensor section includes integrated thermal and optical video recording cameras and digital signal processing.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the docking platform automatically connects to the aircraft to charge its batteries.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor section includes an integrated thermal or optical video recording camera and digital signal processing;

the sensor section includes an integrated gas detector and analyzer and digital signal processing; and

the sensor section provides automatic transfer of video and detected gas information from the digital signal processing of the video recording camera and the gas detector and analyzer at the docking platform using at least one of wireless, infrared, or optical data transfer.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) unit carried by the aircraft and in communication with the flight control system; and

wherein

a position and universal time detected by the GPS is placed as a timestamp on data collected by the sensor section.

8. A system comprising:

an aircraft, including;

a plurality of wing unit propellers for vertical takeoff and landing;

a control system for controlling flight of the aircraft autonomously;

a sensor section; and

a power manager unit; and

a docking platform, including;

a data exchange unit, wherein the data exchange unit communicates with the sensor section of the aircraft during docking of the aircraft at the docking platform;

a power supply unit that supplies power to the power manager unit of the aircraft during docking of the aircraft at the docking platform; and

a thermal wire mesh for maintaining all-weather operability of the platform with the aircraft.

9. A method comprising:

controlling, both autonomously and from a remote operator location, an aircraft having a plurality of wing unit propellers for vertical takeoff and landing;

operating sensors from the aircraft along a flight path of the aircraft, wherein;

operating the sensors further comprises detecting a level of gas in the atmosphere along the flight path;

linking the aircraft to a network providing cloud computing for in-situ evaluation of the detected level of gas in the atmosphere along the flight path;

recording data from the sensors;

autonomously landing the aircraft at a docking platform;

communicating the recorded data from the aircraft to the docking platform during docking of the aircraft at the docking platform; and

recharging aircraft batteries from a power supply provided by the docking platform during docking of the aircraft at the docking platform.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising;

pre-programming a plurality of global positioning system (GPS) waypoints for traversing a flight path by the aircraft, wherein pre-programming includes instructions for adjusting the direction and altitude of the aircraft at each waypoint.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the flight path is routed along a pipeline so that detecting a level of gas in the atmosphere along the flight path includes detecting a level of gas in the atmosphere over the pipeline; and

linking the aircraft to a network providing cloud computing for in-situ evaluation includes evaluation of the detected level of gas in the atmosphere over the pipeline.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

autonomously landing the aircraft using global positioning system (GPS) on a landing platform large enough to compensate for inaccuracy in GPS positioning;

providing guidance of the aircraft under a force of gravity from an off-center position toward a center of the landing platform using a downward sloping shape of the landing platform; and

moving the aircraft, using the force of gravity, toward the center of the landing platform under the shape-provided guidance, to a position that provides electrical contacts for charging a battery of the aircraft.

13. A method comprising:

controlling, both autonomously and from a remote operator location, an aircraft having a plurality of wing unit propellers for vertical takeoff and landing;

using GPS positioning guidance to direct the aircraft to a desired location of a pipeline;

operating sensors from the aircraft along a flight path of the aircraft;

recording data from the sensors, including;

recording high resolution thermal and optical images by the aircraft;

autonomously landing the aircraft at a docking platform;

communicating the recorded data from the aircraft to the docking platform during docking of the aircraft at the docking platform; and

recharging aircraft batteries from a power supply provided by the docking platform during docking of the aircraft at the docking platform.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

autonomously landing the aircraft using global positioning system (GPS) on a landing platform large enough to compensate for inaccuracy in GPS positioning;

providing guidance of the aircraft toward the center of the landing platform using the shape of the landing platform; and

moving the aircraft using a force toward the center of the landing platform under the shape-provided guidance, to a position that provides electrical contacts for charging a battery of the aircraft.

15. A method comprising:

controlling, both autonomously and from a remote operator location, an aircraft having a plurality of wing unit propellers for vertical takeoff and landing;

operating sensors from the aircraft along a flight path of the aircraft, including;

collecting a volume of gas with a gas collection fixture mounted on the aircraft, and

injecting the gas into a gas detector unit for detection and analysis;

recording data from the sensors;

autonomously landing the aircraft at a docking platform;

communicating the recorded data from the aircraft to the docking platform during docking of the aircraft at the docking platform; and

recharging aircraft batteries from a power supply provided by the docking platform during docking of the aircraft at the docking platform.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

autonomously landing the aircraft using global positioning system (GPS) on a landing platform large enough to compensate for inaccuracy in GPS positioning;

providing guidance of the aircraft toward the center of the landing platform using the shape of the landing platform; and

moving the aircraft using a force toward the center of the landing platform under the shape-provided guidance, to a position that provides electrical contacts for charging a battery of the aircraft.

17. A method of autonomous landing of a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) aircraft, comprising:

autonomously landing the sUAS aircraft using global positioning system (GPS) on a landing platform large enough to compensate for inaccuracy in GPS positioning;

providing guidance of the sUAS aircraft toward the center of the landing platform using the shape of the landing platform; and

moving the sUAS aircraft using a force toward the center of the landing platform under the shape-provided guidance, to a position that provides electrical contacts for charging a battery of the sUAS aircraft.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein

moving the sUAS aircraft using a force comprises using gravity.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein

moving the sUAS aircraft using a force comprises using a magnetic force.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

automatically charging the sUAS aircraft battery, after the sUAS aircraft reaches the position that provides electrical contacts, using one or more of solar cell energy, rectified alternating current, or transformer based electro-magnetic coupling and rectification.