A test unit (412) has an aerial drone (414) which deploys an NDE scanner (416) on a metal surface of the EUT (26) from an aerial drone (414). The test unit (412) has a winch (424) with a winch drive motor (504) and a drive pulley (520) for dispensing and retrieving a deployment tether (418). The winch (424) also includes a reel motor (502) and a reel (496) on which the deployment tether (418) is spooled. The winch drive motor (504) and the reel motor (502) are synchronized to provide a take-up loop (546) formed of the deployment tether (418) which extends between the drive pulley (520) and the reel (496). A take-up arm (512) is connected between the take-up loop (546) and a position sensor (514) for determining the length (544) of the take-up loop (546). The deployment tether (418) is preferably provided by a cogged drive belt.
Winch for an aerial drone deployed non-destructive evaluation scanner
2020-06-09
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B60Q ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL , Anordnung von Signal- oder Beleuchtungsvorrichtungen, deren Einbau oder Halterung oder deren Schaltkreise bei Fahrzeugen allgemein / B64C AEROPLANES , Flugzeuge / B66D Haspeln , CAPSTANS |
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