Robotic vehicle for holiday testing of coating on storage tank base plates

摘要

A robotic holiday testing apparatus for detecting and marking holidays in the protective coating atop a metal base plate of a storage tank, including:
a. a vehicle,b. a power drive unit selectively coupled to a first set of wheels to move the vehicle in the forward or backward direction, and to a second set of wheels to move the vehicle and the right or left direction,c. a holiday detection apparatus having a wettable sponge electrical contact element for establishing an electric circuit with the base plate through each of the holidays,d. a tank for containing an electrolytic fluid supplied into the wettable sponge, ande. a controller which selectively operates the power drive unit to:
move the vehicle in the forward direction for selected distance, andf. to move the vehicle in the left or right direction for selected distance,

the vehicle thus being movable along a path while the holiday testing apparatus thereon detects and marks holidays for subsequent repair.

主权项

1. A robotic holiday testing apparatus for detecting and marking holidays in the protective coating atop a metal base plate of a storage tank, comprising:
a. a vehicle having front, rear, left and right parts, b. a first set of wheels mounted to said vehicle such that the bottoms of said first set of wheels lie at a first elevation below said vehicle for enabling said vehicle to roll in the forward and rearward directions, c. a second set of wheels mounted to said vehicle such that the bottoms of said second set of wheels lie at a second elevation higher than said first elevation for enabling said vehicle to roll in the left and right directions, d. a power drive unit selectively coupled:
i. to said first set of wheels to move said vehicle in the forward or backward direction, andii. to said second set of wheels to move said vehicle and the right or left direction, e. an elevator unit for selectively:
i. lowering said second set of wheels so that the bottoms of said second set of wheels lie at a third elevation lower than said first elevation, whereby said first set of wheels is elevated off the base plate, and said second set wheels will engage said base plate and said vehicle is movable in said left and right directions, andii. subsequently elevating said second set of wheels at least until said first set of wheels re-engages said base plate, f. a holiday detection apparatus having a wettable sponge electrical contact element for establishing an electric circuit with the base plate through each of said holidays, g. a tank for containing an electrolytic fluid supplied into said wettable sponge, and h. a controller which selectively operates said power drive unit to:
i. move said vehicle on said first set of wheels in the forward direction for selected distance, andii. lower said second set of wheels to contact said base plate and elevate said first set of wheels out of contact with said base plate, andiii. move said vehicle in the left or right direction for selected distance, andiv. elevate said second set of wheels out of contact with said base plate, until said first set of wheels regains contact with said base plate,said vehicle thus being movable along a path while said holiday testing apparatus thereon detects and marks holidays for subsequent repair.