USOO6889783B1 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 6,889,783 B1 MOOre et al. (45) Date of Patent: May 10, 2005 (54) REMOTE CONTROLLED INSPECTION 4,519,465 A 5/1985 Triplett VEHICLE UTILIZING MAGNETIC 4,664,212 A 5/1987 Nagatsuka et al. ADHESION TO TRAVERSE 4,709,773. A 12/1987 Clement et al. NONHORIZONTAL, NONFLAT, 4,828,059 A 5/1989 Naito et al. FERROMAGNETIC SURFACES 4,897,014 A 1/1990 Tietze ........................ 414/729 5,022,812 A 6/1991 Coughlan et al. 5,125,467 A 6/1992 Mancheron (75) Inventors: Charles C. Moore, Hibbs, PA (US); 5,148,882 A 9/1992 Carra et al. James A. Bauer, Gibsonia, PA (US); 5,174,405 A 12/1992 Carra et al. Mark W. Fischer, Pittsburgh, PA (US); 5,186,270 A 2/1993 West Harry L. Sill, Pittsburgh, PA (US) 5.248,008 A 9/1993 Clar 5,293,949 A 3/1994 Zimmermann (73) Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power 5,363.935 A 11/1994 Schempf et al. Corporation, Orlando, FL (US) 5,435,405 A 7/1995 Schempf et al. 5,465,525 A 11/1995 Mifune et al. Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 5,517,416 A 5/1996 Torii et al. 5,570,992 A * 11/1996 Lemelson ................ 414/744.3 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 5,894.901 A 4/1999 Awamura et al. U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. 6,374,933 B1 4/2002 Ruppert, Jr. et al. 6,394,204 B1 5/2002 Haringer (21) Appl. No.: 10/654,753 6,672,413 B2 1/2004 Moore et al. .............. 180/9.21 (22) Filed: Sep. 4, 2003 * cited by examiner Related U.S. Application Data Primary Examiner-Daniel G. DePumpo Assistant Examiner-Matthew Luby (63) Continuation of application No. 09/995,182, filed on Nov. 27, 2001, now Pat. No. 6,672,413. (57) ABSTRACT (60) Provisional application No. 60/253,675, filed on Nov. A remote controlled inspection vehicle provides inter 28, 2000. changeable modules, permitting the vehicle to be easily Int. Cl.............................................. B62D 55/065 configured to perform a wide variety of tasks. The vehicle (51) includes at least one frame module having a pair of drive (52) - - - - - - 180/9.21; 180/9.48 modules on either Side. Each drive module includes a (58) 180/9, 9.1, 9.21, continuous track Surrounding a permanent magnet, and is 180/94, 9.48, 9.46,901; 901/1, 30, 40, 41; dimensioned and configured to pivot around its longitudinal 280/5.22, 5.48; 305/6 axis. The frame modules are dimensioned and configured to be hingedly Secured to other frame modules, end effectors (56) References Cited including various Sensors for performing inspections, and U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS tail units to assist in placing the vehicle in the desired environment. 3,998.286 A 12/1976 Ponikelsky et al. 4,341,276 A 7/1982 Furuichi 4,457,388 A 7/1984 Koehler et al. 19 Claims, 11 Drawing Sheets U.S. Patent May 10, 2005 Sheet 1 of 11 US 6,889,783 B1 U.S. Patent May 10, 2005 Sheet 2 of 11 US 6,889,783 B1 U.S. Patent May 10, 2005 Sheet 3 of 11 US 6,889,783 B1 U.S. Patent May 10, 2005 Sheet 4 of 11 US 6,889,783 B1 U.S. Patent May 10, 2005 Sheet 5 of 11 US 6,889,783 B1 U.S. Patent May 10, 2005 Sheet 6 of 11 US 6,889,783 B1 U.S. Patent May 10, 2005 Sheet 7 of 11 US 6,889,783 B1 U.S. Patent May 10, 2005 Sheet 8 of 11 US 6,889,783 B1 U.S. Patent May 10, 2005 Sheet 9 of 11 US 6,889,783 B1 U.S. Patent May 10, 2005 Sheet 10 of 11 US 6,889,783 B1 s U.S. Patent May 10, 2005 Sheet 11 of 11 US 6,889,783 B1 US 6,889,783 B1 1 2 REMOTE CONTROLLED INSPECTION is Supplied to additional copper bars adjacent to the track, So VEHICLE UTILIZING MAGNETIC that when the copper bars extending acroSS the width of the ADHESION TO TRAVERSE track are brought into contact with these copper bars, the NONHORIZONTAL, NONFLAT, cleat becomes an electromagnet. The Steering unit includes FERROMAGNETIC SURFACES a yaw actuator and a pitch actuator, both of which are actuated by electric motors and gear arrangements. Sensors CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED may include ultrasonic inspection Sensors, cameras, acoustic APPLICATION navigation Systems, vapor Sensors, radiation detectors, etc. A tether line is used to Supply power and control functions. This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. This patent does not describe a means for rotating the tracks No. 09/995,182, filed Nov. 27, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. of the vehicle around their longitudinal axis. 6,672,413, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,059, issued to S. Naito et al. on May Patent Application Ser. No. 60/253,675, filed Nov. 28, 2000. 9, 1989, describes a wall-crawling machine having perma nent magnets within the tracks. One embodiment uses two BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 15 Sets of tracks, pivotally connected with each other, So that movement of the rear track towards a wall causes the 1. Field of the Invention forward track to align itself with the wall and adhere to the The present invention relates to remote controlled, wall. Movement of the front track up the wall then angles the unmanned inspection vehicles. More specifically, the rear track to align it with the wall. A Second embodiment present invention relates to inspection vehicles capable of utilizes permanent magnets attached to a pivoting arm to entry into highly constrained spaces, and traversing nonho pull the vehicle up onto a wall. A third embodiment has rizontal and/or nonflat ferromagnetic Surfaces through mag laterally-extendable tracks for performing a transverse walk netic adhesion to Such Surfaces. ing function. 2. Description of the Related Art U.S. Pat. No. 4,664.212, issued to K. Nagatsuka et al. on It is frequently necessary to perform inspections of 25 May 12, 1987, describes a remote controlled, tracked machinery, Storage tanks, etc., where highly constrained vehicle having Suction chambers with apertures in the entry points and/or environmental hazards make direct tracks. A centrally mounted Suction apparatus is mounted human inspection either impossible or inadvisable. adjacent to the central portion of each track, and SuckS air Examples include electrical generators and other machinery through the Suction chambers located near the central por having highly constrained travel Spaces between the various tion of the vehicle to retain the vehicle on a Surface. moving components, Storage tanks wherein chemical haz U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,901, issued to N. Awamura et al. on ards are present, Such as underground gasoline tanks, and Apr. 20, 1999, describes an endless magnetic track for a pools containing nuclear reactor spent fuel wherein radiation vehicle, having a plurality of magnets coupled in Series with hazards are present. Frequently, access to various regions the chain, and a means for providing Slack within the tracks that must be inspected requires traversing nonhorizontal 35 when traversing uneven terrain. Surfaces, Such as angled components and/or walls, and/or Accordingly, a remote controlled inspection vehicle nonflat Surfaces, Such as the exterior or interior of pipes. capable of fitting into extremely Small Spaces, for example, One proposed remote controlled inspection vehicle is between the rotor and Stator of an electrical generator, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,935, issued to H. Schempf desired. Additionally, a remote controlled inspection vehicle et al. on Nov. 15, 1994. The vehicle includes at least one 40 having propulsion units that are rotatable about their longi frame member Supporting a continuous track, a magnet, a tudinal axis for traversing concave and conveX Surfaces, for fixed magnetic element, and a movable magnetic element. example, the interior and exterior of pipes, is desired. The movable magnetic element forms one side of a rotatable Further, a remote controlled inspection vehicle having an cylinder Surrounding the drive shaft operatively connecting adjustable distance between the propulsion tracks is desired. the motor and tracks, So that it may engage the drive shaft 45 A remote controlled inspection vehicle having replaceable when movement is desired. The fixed magnetic element modular tracks for different operations is also desired. includes a pair of magnetic pieces on either Side of the cylinder, with one piece including the permanent magnet, SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION and legs terminating in rollers contacting the tracks. Each track cleat includes a nonmagnetic center portion and mag 50 The present invention is a remote controlled inspection netic end portions. When the movable magnetic element is vehicle for performing inspections in areas inaccessible to in a first position wherein it forms a magnetic flux path human inspectors due to Small size and/or hazardous con between the fixed magnetic pieces, thereby forming a com ditions. plete flux path including the movable piece, 2 fixed pieces, The inspection vehicle of the present invention includes at ends of the track cleats, and the Surface upon which the 55 least one frame, dimensioned and configured to receive a vehicle is travelling, the vehicle is magnetically Secured to pair of drive modules. The frame includes a longitudinal the inside surface of the tank. When the movable magnetic beam that is preferably hollow, permitting it to contain element is rotated to its Second position, the magnetic flux wiring for Supplying electrical power and control Signals, path is broken, and the vehicle is not magnetically Secured and for transmitting information detected during the inspec to the interior Surface of the tank.