Overview
At Avestec, I worked on the development of specialized heavy-duty drones used for Ultrasonic Testing (UT) of industrial assets. These drones are designed to fly in confined spaces and high-risk environments, such as oil tankers and storage tanks, to perform structural integrity checks that would otherwise require dangerous manual labor and expensive scaffolding.
Technical Contributions
Subsystem Design & Manufacturing
I was responsible for the end-to-end development of critical hardware components, including the camera modules and the air-to-ground communication server housing.
- Design: Used SolidWorks to model complex assemblies, ensuring tight tolerances for sensor integration and weight distribution.
- Prototyping: Iterated rapidly using FDM and Resin 3D printing to validate form factors and mounting points before moving to final production.
- Manufacturing: Prepared components for CNC machining, selecting materials capable of withstanding the harsh chemical and physical environments of oil and gas inspections.
Thermal Management & Validation
A significant challenge for industrial drones is maintaining performance in high-temperature environments.
- The Problem: Internal electronics generated significant heat, which, combined with high ambient temperatures, threatened system stability.
- The Solution: I led a team to help me execute a comprehensive heat testing protocol. We monitored internal component thermals and airflow efficiency under various load conditions.
- Results: Through iterative design changes to the cooling pathways and material selection, we successfully certified the drone for an operational limit of 60°C.
Key Skills & Tools
- Hardware: SolidWorks (CAD), CNC Machining, Additive Manufacturing (FDM/SLA), Soldering, Thermal Testing.
- Systems: Air-to-ground communication architecture, Ultrasonic Testing (UT) integration.
- Leadership: Team management for the thermal testing procedures.