SYSTEM FOR BLAST-CLEANING A BARGE DECK, SIDES, AND FITTINGS

Abstract

A system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings providing for safety and avoidance of damage to the barge and to persons, where a barge is blast-cleaned with moving blaster units suspended from and traveling along an overhead track beam. In one embodiment, the moving blaster units are each controlled by a person in a moving operator capsule moving in tandem with a moving blaster unit. In another embodiment, the moving blaster units are robotically controlled from a robotic controller which has access to a three-dimensional plan of the barge, communicating with the robotic blaster units via RF antennae, and receiving real-time data from sensors located on each blaster head. Optionally, the system for blast-cleaning a barge can provide blaster-head cameras for real-time remote monitoring of operations and for recording of the operations allowing review of any issue, such as damage, that might arise.

Claims

1. A system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings, in a work building, by a human operator, the system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings comprising: (i) at least one overhead track beam inside the work building above the barge and fittings; (ii) at least one moving blaster unit adapted to move along said overhead track beam, and having a blaster head adapted to move with said moving blaster unit and move relative to said moving blaster unit; (iii) at least one moving operator capsule in proximity to said moving blaster unit, adapted to move in tandem with said moving blaster unit, and adapted to house an operator within eyesight of said blaster head; where, in use, said moving blaster unit with said blaster head is moved along said overhead track, and said blaster head is moved in relation to said moving blaster unit, under the control of the operator, such that all surfaces of the barge deck, sides, and fittings are reached with blast media.

2. The system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of claim 1, further comprising a blaster-head camera.

3. The system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of claim 1, further comprising a blaster-head sensor.

4. The system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of claim 1, further comprising a blaster-head sensor adapted to sense objects through a cloud of blast media.

5. The system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of claim 1, further comprising a blaster-head sensor adapted to make sensor readings during pauses between pulses of blasting.

6. The system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of claim 1, further comprising a blaster-head sensor adapted to determine absolute location from fixed reference beacons placed inside the work building.

7. The system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of claim 1, where said moving operator capsule further comprises an air filtration system.

8. The system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of claim 1, where said moving operator capsule further comprises an air supply system.

9. The system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of claim 1, further comprising a blaster-head camera and a blaster-head sensor, where video from said blaster-head camera is recorded and is combined with recorded data from said blaster-head sensor to provide for a detailed inspection of all surfaces and fittings of the barge before, during, and after blasting.

10. The system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of claim 1, further comprising a blaster-head camera, where video from said blaster-head camera is recorded for later use in analyzing and investigating blasting operations.

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Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals, and wherein:

[0022] FIG. 1 is a side schematic view of the operation of a first embodiment of the system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of the invention;

[0023] FIG. 2 is a side schematic view of the operation of a second embodiment of the system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of the invention;

[0024] FIG. 3 is a front schematic view of the operation of a first embodiment of the system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 4 is a front schematic view of the operation of a second embodiment of the system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of the invention; and

[0026] FIG. 5 is a detail schematic view of the blaster head of the system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Referring to all of the figures generally, the system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings 10, 20 of the invention is shown. A first embodiment 10 of the system provides for control by human operators within eyesight of the blaster heads. A second embodiment 20 of the system provides for robotic control of the blaster heads.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, in a first embodiment 10 of the system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings, a barge is blast-cleaned with moving blaster units 2 suspended from and traveling along an overhead track beam 1. Each moving blaster unit is controlled by a person in a moving operator capsule 3 moving in tandem with a moving blaster unit 2. The operator is able to see the position and operation of the blaster head 4 of the moving blaster unit 2. This embodiment requires that the work building be well-ventilated, and that the used blast media and removed particles be heavily filtered, in order to allow personnel to work in the building, and to allow the operators to see the blasting operation.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, in a second embodiment 20 of the system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings, robotically controlled robotic blaster units 5 are used, each having a blaster head 4 like the moving blaster units 2 of the first embodiment. This robotic embodiment does not require personnel to be inside the work building, and therefore does not require ventilation and air filtering.

[0030] Each blaster head 4 is provided with a blaster-head sensor 8 which can sense both the absolute position of the blaster head 4 within the whole work building, and can also sense proximate objects such as the structure or the fittings of the barge. Calculations based on these data can generate a three-dimensional model of the barge and its fittings. The sensors can be a combination of sensor types known in that art, such LIDAR (laser), ultrasonic, microwave, ultraviolet, visible, or infrared light, all based upon detecting signals emitted by or reflecting off of objects, and accelerometers, tilt sensors, and position finders based on fixed reference beacons inside the work building, from which the position, attitude, and movement of the blaster head 4 can be determined, tracked, and recorded. Optimally, the sensors will be able to function in spite of blast media being emitted by the blast head 4 and reflecting or falling off of the blasted object. The blaster-head sensor 8 should be mounted upon or within the blaster head 4 in such a way that obstruction by blast media is minimized. In circumstances where the blast media is obstructing the blaster-head sensor 8 the blasting can be performed in a sequence of pulses or bursts, between which the sensors can operate in compatibly timed pulses.

[0031] The blasting operations are robotically controlled from a robotic controller 6, which has access to the three-dimensional plan of the barge. The three-dimensional plan of the barge will almost always be available as part of the published standards to which barges must be built. If such an existing three-dimensional plan is not available, a plan can be generated by making a dry run of the operations and capturing the sensor data. Communication between the robotic blaster units 5 and the robotic controller 6 can be accomplished via RF antennae 7, using a type and frequency of signals which are not blocked by blast media suspended in the air. Careful antenna placement can avoid signals being blocked by the barge itself.

[0032] In use, the robotic controller 6 receives real-time data from sensors located on each blaster head. This data stream can be recorded, creating a very detailed record of the blasting operation which can be referred to should any question or dispute about the operation be raised. If the robotic controller 6 is working from a standard three-dimensional plan of a barge, then the real-time data from the blaster-head sensors can be checked against the standard plan, and any deviation from the plan can be detected and flagged. Optionally, any such deviation might trigger an automatic pausing of the blasting operations, at least for that blaster head, until the deviation can be inspected. The robotic controller 6 should prevent the blaster head 4 from making contact with any object detected by the blaster-head sensor 8 except under an explicit override.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 5, in use, the blaster head 4 of the system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings can reach and blast the undersides of the pipes, valves, hatches, and other fittings on the deck of the barge, by being positioned below the fittings and expelling blast media upward.

[0034] Optionally, the system for blast-cleaning a barge can provide blaster-head cameras 9 for real-time remote monitoring of operations and for recording of the operations. The blaster-head cameras 9 are mounted upon or within the blaster head 4 such that exposure to bouncing blast media is minimized or prevented. As with the blaster-head sensors 8, a pulsed operation of the blasting may be used to allow the taking of clear photos or video during the non-blasting periods.

[0035] Real-time video from such a blaster-head camera 9 could optionally be used as an additional sensor to be analyzed in real time by the robotic controller 6. Recorded photos or video of the blasting operation can be referred to should any question or dispute about the operation be raised.

[0036] Many other changes and modifications can be made in the system and method of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. I therefore pray that my rights to the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.