Laser Vessel Inspection for Remote Thickness Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for inspecting confined spaces within vessels, such as large storage tanks or offshore facilities, are time-consuming, costly, and require personnel entry, which poses safety risks and disrupts operations.
Innovation Solution
A method using laser scanning to obtain data sets from opposite surfaces of a vessel, generating a model to determine thickness and structural integrity without human entry, enabling remote and unmanned inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual inspection methods are used, then flexibility and adaptability to different defect types are maintained, but inspection time and labor costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system is segmented into multiple independent inspection regions (first inspection region, second inspection region, third inspection region) that can be processed simultaneously. Each region can be inspected using appropriate methods for its specific requirements, enabling parallel processing and increasing overall inspection speed without requiring a completely complex monolithic system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects inspection methods based on the detected characteristics of each inspection region. When defects are detected in certain regions, the system adapts to apply more detailed inspection methods to those specific regions while maintaining faster inspection methods for regions without defects, creating a dynamic inspection strategy that balances speed and thoroughness.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive inspection of all regions is performed, then detection accuracy is improved, but inspection time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary inspection of all inspection regions to detect the presence and characteristics of defects. Based on these preliminary results, the system determines which regions require further detailed inspection. This preliminary action filters out regions that can be inspected quickly without affecting overall accuracy, while directing detailed inspection only to regions where preliminary inspection indicates potential defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial detailed inspection to only those inspection regions where preliminary inspection indicates the presence of defects. Instead of uniformly applying comprehensive inspection to all regions, the system uses excessive (detailed) inspection methods selectively on problematic regions while using faster inspection methods on clean regions, achieving high accuracy where needed without the time cost of comprehensive inspection everywhere.
3Reliability
If multiple inspection methods are applied to all regions, then detection capability is improved, but system complexity and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary inspection of all inspection regions to detect the presence and characteristics of defects. Based on these preliminary results, the system determines which regions require further detailed inspection. This preliminary action filters out regions that can be inspected quickly without affecting overall accuracy, while directing detailed inspection only to regions where preliminary inspection indicates potential defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different inspection methods with different levels of detail to different inspection regions based on their specific characteristics and preliminary inspection results. Regions with detected defects receive more detailed inspection methods, while regions without defects receive simpler, faster inspection methods. This local differentiation of inspection quality maintains high detection capability where needed while reducing overall system complexity and computational load.
Data Source
Figure 1~2a
Figure 3~14
Figure 4a~4d
AI summary
Method of inspecting a vessel including obtaining a first data set (14, 114) associated with a first surface (340) of at least a portion of the vessel. The first data set (14, 114) is obtained with laser scanning. A model or simulation (12, 112, 212, 312) indicative of the first surface (340) is generated in dependence on the obtained first data set (14, 114). A property of the portion of the vessel is determined in dependence on the generated model or simulation (12, 112, 212, 312).