of ducted-fan technology, aerial
sampling booms with magnetic
sample ports and evacuated vacuum
sample bottles with servo-activated
sample valves. e type of drone used
in this instance was an electric, duct-
ed-fan UAV engineered to navigate
indoors, outdoors and in tight spaces.
In addition to offering significant lift,
the duct provides added safety by
shrouding the high-speed fan. With
this design, there is no opportunity
for the blade to contact an asset or a
person, which allows for close exam-
ination of the asset. e vehicle can
also carry various payloads to meet
customer requirements.
ese types of soccer-ball-sized
units are capable of vertical takeoff
and hovering f light. Their duct-
ed-fan architecture allows them to be
compact, easy to deploy and cost-ef-
fective. With a range of just more
than one-half mile, these systems can
be used with navigation and a wire-
less data link or a tethered link for
unlimited flight time. ey can also
incorporate real-time data transfer,
including video, infrared, ultrasonic
and vibration information.
As this remote sampling project
continues, more research is being
conducted with a review of all current
technical and consulting organiza-
tions, distributors, state organizations
and educational institutions. Method-
ologies and tools also will need to be
created to refine precision sampling,
as well as to assess and analyze the
best practices and risks.
Work is now underway to utilize
the functionality of UAVs for more
than just remote oil sampling.
Coupling other monitoring devices
is no longer on the horizon but is
already being developed. As the world
of condition monitoring evolves,
using drones to pull an oil sample
is just another example of applying
high-tech tools to understand and
monitor an asset's condition.
ML
A ducted-fan UAV
ML
START YOUR
FREE SUBSCRIPTION
www.machinerylubrication.com
www
.
machinerylubrication.com
|
July - August 2018
|
29
