SCANNING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SCANNING VESSELS

Abstract

A method of scanning an industrial chemical vessel to monitor a chemical process within the industrial chemical vessel, the method comprising: positioning a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying a gamma radiation source on one side of the vessel, positioning a second UAV carrying a gamma radiation detector on an opposite side of the vessel, moving the first and second UAVs to scan the vessel by passing gamma radiation through the vessel from the radiation source carried by the first UAV to the radiation detector carried by the second UAV thereby measuring a density profile, identifying a location of one or more fluid layers within the industrial chemical vessel, and determining if a chemical process within the industrial chemical vessel is operating correctly based on the location of the one or more fluid layers within the industrial chemical vessel identified using the first and second UAVs.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A method of scanning an industrial chemical vessel to monitor a chemical process within the industrial chemical vessel, the method comprising: positioning a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying a gamma radiation source on one side of the vessel; positioning a second UAV carrying a gamma radiation detector on an opposite side of the vessel; moving the first and second UAVs in a coordinated fashion in order to scan the vessel by passing gamma radiation through the vessel from the radiation source carried by the first UAV to the radiation detector carried by the second UAV thereby measuring a density profile of the industrial chemical vessel; identifying a location of one or more fluid layers within the industrial chemical vessel; and determining if a chemical process within the industrial chemical vessel is operating correctly or if there is a problem with the chemical process within the industrial chemical vessel based on the location of the one or more fluid layers within the industrial chemical vessel identified using the first and second UAVs.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first and second UAV are controlled to maintain a fixed distance between the first and second UAV as the vessel is being scanned.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first and second UAV are controlled to locate the first UAV on one side of the vessel and the second UAV on an opposite side of the vessel and move both the first and second UAVs along the vessel in a coordinated fashion in order to measure the density profile of the vessel.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first and second UAV are controlled to locate the first UAV on one side of the vessel and the second UAV on an opposite side of the vessel and move both the first and second UAVs around the vessel in a coordinated fashion in order to generate a computed tomography (CT) scan of the vessel.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein each of the first and second UAVs comprises one or more sensors for measuring and controlling the UAV's distance from the vessel and height from the ground.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the radiation source carried by the first UAV is disposed in a housing which at least partially shields the radiation source from its surroundings.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the housing includes a collimator in order to direct a beam of radiation from the radiation source towards the radiation detector carried by the second UAV, and the controller is configured to orientate the first UAV to direct the beam of radiation towards the radiation detector carried by the second UAV as the vessel is being scanned.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the housing comprises a shutter for completely sealing the radiation source within the housing, and a safety shut off is provided such that in the event of a malfunction the shutter is closed to completely seal the radiation source within the housing.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein a data processor is provided for processing radiation data from the detector.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the detector comprises a data link for transmitting radiation data to the data processor.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein one or both of the first and second UAVs comprise a data link for transmitting location data to the data processor.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the data processor is configured to synchronize the radiation data and location data to generate a scan profile.

27. The method according to claim 15, wherein more than one UAV carrying a radiation source and/or more than one UAV carrying a radiation detector is provided, and wherein the UAVs are moved in a coordinated fashion in order to scan the vessel by passing radiation through the vessel from the radiation sources to the radiation detectors.

28. The system configured to scan an industrial chemical vessel to monitor a chemical process within the industrial chemical vessel using the method according to claim 15, the system comprising: a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying a gamma radiation source; a second UAV carrying a gamma radiation detector; a controller configured to move the first and second UAVs in a coordinated fashion in order to scan the vessel by passing radiation through the vessel from the radiation source carried by the first UAV to the radiation detector carried by the second UAV thereby measuring a density profile of the industrial chemical vessel; and a processing unit for identifying a location of one or more fluid layers within the industrial chemical vessel based on the density profile measurements and for determining if a chemical process within the industrial chemical vessel is operating correctly or if there is a problem with the chemical process within the industrial chemical vessel based on the location of the one or more fluid layers within the industrial chemical vessel identified using the first and second UAVs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, certain embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a UAV scanning system performing a density profile scan of a tower; and

[0030] FIG. 2 shows a UAV scanning system performing a CT scan of a tower.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] As described in the summary section, and as illustrated in FIG. 1, the present specification provides a system 10 for scanning a vessel 12, the system 10 comprising: a first UAV 14 carrying a radiation source 16; a second UAV 18 carrying a radiation detector 20; and a controller 22 configured to move the first and second UAVs 14, 18 in a coordinated fashion in order to scan the vessel 12 by passing radiation through the vessel 12 from the radiation source 16 carried by the first UAV 14 to the radiation detector 20 carried by the second UAV 18.

[0032] The controller is configured to maintain a fixed distance between the first and second UAV as the vessel is being scanned. The attenuation of radiation between the source and detector is dependent on the distance between the source and the detector in addition to the density of the materials through which the radiation passes. As such, by configuring the controller to maintain a fixed distance between the UAVs then variations in the radiation data resulting from variations in path length are reduced or eliminated. As an alternative, or in addition, the system can be configured to correct the radiation data for variations in path length between the UAVs during scanning by using location data from the UAVs to detect and account for any variations in path length.

[0033] The method of scanning a vessel comprises: positioning the first UAV on one side of the vessel; positioning the second UAV on an opposite side of the vessel; and moving the first and second UAVs in a coordinated fashion in order to scan the vessel by passing radiation through the vessel from the radiation source carried by the first UAV to the radiation detector carried by the second UAV. The way in which the UAVs are moved, and the number and location of the radiation measurements taken, can be varied according to the type of scanning which is to be performed. A computer can be used to control both UAVs, executing a pre-defined flight plan and ensuring the UAVs stay synchronized in terms of height and positioning relative to each other. Software already exists for planning and executing UAV flights. In the present system, the fight plans should be designed and synchronized with the control of radiation measurements to implement a desired scanning method. Two different scanning methods are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as discussed below.

[0034] In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the controller 22 is configured to locate the first UAV 14 on one side of the vessel 12 and the second UAV 18 on an opposite side of the vessel 12 and move both the first and second UAVs 14, 18 along (down) the vessel 12 in a coordinated fashion in order to generate a density profile of the vessel 12. In this case, the first and second UAVs are positioned at the same height to take a measurement and then moved down to a second height to take a further measurement and so on. In this way, the density profile of the vessel can be mapped. This may be used, for example, to measure the height of a liquid in the vessel or the location of layers and interfaces in a multi-layered column comprising, for example, solid, aqueous, emulsion, oil, and gas phases.

[0035] In the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, the controller is configured to locate the first UAV 14 on one side of the vessel 12 and the second UAV 18 on an opposite side of the vessel 12 and to move both the first and second UAVs 14, 18 around the vessel 12 in a coordinated fashion in order to generate a computed tomography (CT) scan of the vessel 12. In this case, the UAVs move around the circumference of the tower taking measurement at a plurality of radial directions around the tower. Reconstruction models then take this information and use it to generate an accurate image of the tower at that location. This has the advantage of generating a density map which can provide information about the tower wall thickness and integrity, the product flowing conditions, and the condition of any coating applied to the tower. CT scans can be performed at multiple heights down the tower to build a three-dimensional picture of the tower interior. Such CT gamma scanning techniques have previously been extremely labour intensive. The UAV system described here is highly advantageous for such scanning.

[0036] Each of the first and second UAVs comprises one or more sensors for measuring and controlling the UAV's distance from the vessel and/or height from the ground. Suitable sensors include LIDAR sensors (light detection and ranging), laser range finders, and altimeters to measure and control the UAVs distance from the tower and height from the ground. The sensors can be used to correct the path length between the two UAVs and to monitor the height of the UAVs such that height data can be synchronized with radiation data to produce a density profile of the tower.

[0037] The radiation source can be an ionizing radiation source such as a gamma radiation source, e.g. Cs-137. An X-ray generator could also be used to generate the radiation. The radiation source carried by the first UAV can be disposed in a housing which at least partially shields the radiation source from its surroundings. The housing can further include a collimator in order to direct a beam of radiation from the radiation source towards the radiation detector carried by the second UAV. In this case, the controller is configured to orientate the first UAV to direct the beam of radiation towards the radiation detector carried by the second UAV as the vessel is being scanned.

[0038] As a safety measure, the housing can also be configured to have a shutter for completely sealing the radiation source within the housing, and the system may further comprise a safety shut off such that in the event of a system malfunction the shutter is closed to completely seal the radiation source within the housing. The UAV carrying the radiation source, or indeed both UAVs, can also be provided with a tether such that the UAVs are tethered to the ground and cannot fly beyond a range defined by the length of the tether. A shielding container can also be provided for housing the UAV which carries the radiation source. As such, the UAV can be deployed from the shielding container to minimise human interaction with the source.

[0039] The system further comprises a data processor for processing radiation data from the detector. In practice the controller and the data processor can be provided in the same computer unit 22 illustrated in the Figures, which may be a laptop, tablet, smart phone, or other mobile computing device. However, this is not necessarily the case and it is envisaged that the controller and data processing unit could be provided in separate devices.

[0040] The radiation detector comprises a data link for transmitting radiation data to the data processor. The radiation detector carried by the second UAV can be battery operated and capable of transmitting data wirelessly. One or both of the first and second UAVs can also be provided with a data link (e.g. a wireless data link) for transmitting location data to the data processor. It is also possible to use the same data link for transmitting both the radiation data and the UAV location data. The data processor is configured to synchronize the radiation data and location data to generate a scan profile.

[0041] While the system as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a single UAV carrying a radiation source and a single UAV carrying a radiation detector, systems as described herein are not limited to this configuration. The system may comprise more than one UAV carrying a radiation source and/or more than one UAV carrying a radiation detector. The controller is configured to move all the UAVs in a coordinated fashion in order to scan the vessel by passing radiation through the vessel from the radiation sources to the radiation detectors. In this case, the UAVs can be configured into source-detector pairs to performing the scanning. Using multiple drones can be used to increase the speed at which complex scanning techniques, such as CT scanning, can be performed.

[0042] Using the aforementioned system, a method of scanning an industrial chemical vessel to monitor a chemical process within the industrial chemical vessel is provided, the method comprising: [0043] positioning a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying a gamma radiation source on one side of the vessel; [0044] positioning a second UAV carrying a gamma radiation detector on an opposite side of the vessel; [0045] moving the first and second UAVs in a coordinated fashion in order to scan the vessel by passing gamma radiation through the vessel from the radiation source carried by the first UAV to the radiation detector carried by the second UAV thereby measuring a density profile of the industrial chemical vessel; [0046] identifying a location of one or more fluid layers within the industrial chemical vessel; and [0047] determining if a chemical process within the industrial chemical vessel is operating correctly or if there is a problem with the chemical process within the industrial chemical vessel based on the location of the one or more fluid layers within the industrial chemical vessel identified using the first and second UAVs.

[0048] While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to certain examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.