Laser Scanner Alignment for Autonomous Tank Volume Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for calibrating storage tanks in the oil and gas industry are inefficient, invasive, and prone to errors, leading to infrequent and inaccurate volume measurements, which can be costly and pose safety risks due to the need for manual and time-consuming processes.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing an autonomous vehicle coupled with a laser scanning device to autonomously align and measure the volume of storage tanks, allowing for quick, non-invasive, and accurate volume determination by scanning the tank's circumference and calculating horizontal offsets, enabling frequent recalibration and reducing human error.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional manual calibration methods are used, then calibration can be performed with basic equipment, but the process is time-consuming and requires tank downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement systems with an automated laser scanning system. The laser scanner automatically measures tank dimensions and calculates volume, eliminating the need for manual strapping and measurement operations. This substitution of mechanical manual processes with automated optical measurement resolves the contradiction by maintaining measurement capability while dramatically reducing calibration time and eliminating tank downtime requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration system performs self-alignment and self-measurement functions. The autonomous vehicle navigates to the tank, the laser scanner automatically aligns itself with the tank center, and the system autonomously completes the measurement process without requiring manual intervention or tank shutdown. This self-service capability resolves the contradiction by making the system both simple to deploy and extremely fast in execution.
2Productivity
If optical techniques are used for calibration, then measurement speed is improved, but positioning accuracy of laser devices becomes critical and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the laser scanner measures the tank's reference circumference and uses this data to calculate and apply alignment corrections. The system continuously monitors measurement data and adjusts its positioning calculations to compensate for any initial misalignment, ensuring high measurement precision regardless of initial positioning errors. This feedback loop resolves the contradiction by maintaining fast optical measurement while eliminating positioning accuracy concerns.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary alignment measurements by scanning the tank's reference circumference before conducting the actual volume measurement. This preliminary action establishes the tank's center position and orientation, allowing the system to pre-calculate the correct alignment angle. By performing this alignment preparation in advance, the system eliminates positioning errors before they affect the main measurement, thus maintaining both speed and precision.
3Measurement precision
If frequent calibration is performed to maintain accuracy, then volume measurement accuracy is improved, but the cost and time required for calibration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated laser scanning system replaces traditional manual calibration methods, reducing the time required for each calibration event from one to two days to a matter of hours or minutes. This dramatic reduction in calibration time allows the system to perform frequent calibrations without proportionally increasing total time loss, thus maintaining high measurement accuracy while minimizing operational disruption and cost.
4Reliability
If invasive calibration methods are used to ensure accuracy, then measurement reliability is improved, but safety risks and operational disruption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces invasive mechanical calibration methods (such as manual strapping that requires entering the tank or attaching equipment to the tank structure) with non-contact optical laser measurement. The laser scanner measures tank dimensions from a distance without physical contact, eliminating safety risks associated with worker entry into confined spaces and avoiding operational disruption by not requiring tank emptying or shutdown. This substitution maintains measurement reliability while eliminating harmful factors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables rapid, accurate, and frequent calibration of storage tank volumes, reducing costs and safety risks while improving measurement precision and frequency, allowing for daily or per-fill basis updates.
Implementation Method 1
causing an autonomous vehicle coupled to the laser scanning device to move to a location at a known distance from a reference circumference of the container; generating, using the laser scanning device, data indicative of a plurality of locations of a respective plurality of points along a portion of the reference circumference
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for aligning a laser scanning device for measurement of a volume of a container. A method includes: causing an autonomous vehicle coupled to the laser scanning device to move to a location at a known distance from a reference circumference; generating data indicative of locations of points along a portion of the reference circumference; determining, based on the data, an alignment angle by which the autonomous vehicle is to steer such that an axis of the laser scanning device that intersects the container passes through a center axis of the container; causing the autonomous vehicle to steer by the alignment angle, such that the laser scanning device is thereby aligned normal to a tangent plane of a wall of the container; and measuring a plurality of horizontal offsets of the wall relative to the reference circumference for use in determining the volume.