USA flag logo/image

An Official Website of the United States Government

Automated In-Situ Inspection System for Underground Fuel Storage Tanks

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Army 		Award ID:
20557 		Program Year/Program:
1995 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
20557 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
Innovative Dynamics, Inc.
2560 North Triphammer Road Ithaca, NY -
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 2
Fiscal Year: 1995
Title: Automated In-Situ Inspection System for Underground Fuel Storage Tanks
Agency / Branch: DOD / ARMY
Contract: N/A
Award Amount: $498,705.00
 

Abstract:

Currently, no commercial robotic inspection system can operate in a petrochemical bath and perform the precise, repeatable measurements required for tank inspection. Innovative Dynamics proposes to address this problem by determining the sensor requirements for robotic tank inspection. An integrated sensor module will be developed containing an ultrasonic wall thickness gage, a video inspection sensor, and a capacitance-based corrosion/crack sensor, the latter adapted from previous NDE sensor work at IDI. The conbined sensor measurements will maximize the probability of detecting tank wall and tank liner defects. An evaluation of systems for registering measurements on the tank wall will be performed to enable precise and repeatable measurements. Automated fault diagnosis will be provided using a neural-network-based expert system. Lab tests on submerged tank wall specimens will be performed to evaluate the sensor module performance. Based on these sensor studies, deployment requirements will be defined during Phase II for the design and fabrication of an operational robotic inspection system. Cost effective solutions will be sought. Custom or modified commercially available robot types (such as the underwater remotely operated vehicles or magnetically-attached surface crawler will be evaluated which will fulfill these requirements.

Principal Investigator:

Bruce W. Mckee
6072570533

Business Contact:

Small Business Information at Submission:

Innovative Dynamics, Inc.
Cornell Research Park,, Langmuir Labs, 95 Brown R Ithaca, NY 14850

EIN/Tax ID:
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No