UAV-Based Composite Structure Inspection and Repair Workflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
In-person inspections of large structures are time-consuming and costly, and existing methods for inspecting and repairing composite structures like aircraft and wind turbine blades are inefficient, leading to potential extended downtime and economic losses due to damage from impacts or other incidents.
Innovation Solution
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with cameras, non-destructive evaluation (NDE) sensors, and repair tools for rapid visual inspection, NDE, and repair of large composite structures, enabling remote assessment and minimization of downtime by determining damage thresholds and performing necessary repairs autonomously or with minimal human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If in-person human-based inspections are used for large structures, then detailed visual assessment can be performed, but the inspection process becomes time-consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection processes with automated UAV-based systems equipped with cameras and sensors. The UAV autonomously navigates to inspect hard-to-reach areas of structures like aircraft fuselages and wind turbine blades, capturing high-resolution images and sensor data without requiring human personnel to physically access dangerous or confined spaces, thereby reducing inspection time while maintaining accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates digital copies of the inspected structure surfaces through photogrammetry and LiDAR scanning performed by the UAV. These 3D models and surface replicas allow for detailed offline analysis of structural conditions, enabling precise measurement and assessment without requiring repeated physical inspections, thus reducing time loss while preserving inspection quality
2Productivity
If rapid inspection and repair are performed using automated systems, then downtime is reduced, but the complexity of the repair equipment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a multi-functional repair system that can perform multiple repair operations (drilling, fastening, sealing, heating) using a single integrated platform. The repair tooling is designed to handle various composite structure repair scenarios - from simple patch repairs to more complex structural reinforcements - without requiring multiple specialized equipment sets, thereby increasing repair speed while managing equipment complexity through consolidation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a portable, self-contained repair cart that serves as an intermediary platform between the UAV inspection system and the final repair execution. This mobile cart carries all necessary repair tools, materials, and power sources, enabling rapid deployment to any location on the structure without requiring fixed workshop infrastructure, thus accelerating repair speed while keeping the system relatively simple and transportable
3Reliability
If comprehensive NDE and repair procedures are implemented, then structural integrity is ensured, but the time required for damage assessment and repair increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary damage screening using UAV-based visual inspection and automated image analysis before conducting comprehensive NDE. The system uses machine learning algorithms to pre-identify potential damage areas from surface images, allowing operators to focus NDE resources only on suspicious regions rather than scanning the entire structure, thereby ensuring structural integrity through thorough NDE while minimizing overall assessment time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces time-consuming manual NDE procedures with automated sensor-based systems mounted on the UAV. These sensors (such as ultrasonic, thermal, or eddy current sensors) can rapidly scan large surface areas and automatically process the data to detect subsurface damage, providing reliable structural assessment results much faster than traditional manual inspection methods while maintaining high reliability
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for performing repair operations using one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). First, an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a camera is flown to a position in a vicinity of an area of interest on a surface of a structure. Image data representing one or more images of the structure in the area is acquired using the camera. Second, an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a non-destructive examination (NDE) sensor unit is flown until the NDE sensor unit is within measurement range of the structure in the area of interest. Then NDE sensor data representing structural characteristics of the structure in the area of interest is acquired. Third, an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a repair tool is moved to a location that places the repair tool in contact with the surface in the area of interest. Then the structure in the area is repaired using the repair tool. Once the repair has been completed, a UAV equipped with a camera or an NDE sensor unit may be used to determine whether the repaired structure should be placed back in service or not.