The Future of Tank Inspections: A Paradigm Shift
The Future of Tank Inspections: A Paradigm Shift
Zentech Incorporated, headquartered in Houston, Texas, USA, stands as a trailblazer in an ever-evolving world driven by efficiency and life-safety imperatives. Zentech disrupts the inspection landscape by challenging conventional methodologies and introducing pioneering techniques that prioritize enhanced safety measures.
By harnessing the power of their groundbreaking Zentech Extended Reality (ZXR) platform, they have seamlessly integrated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) drones into tank inspections, elevating efficiency and security to unprecedented heights. Leveraging the cutting-edge Flyability Elios 3 drone designed for confined spaces, the ZXR Team eliminates the need for human entry, scaffolding, lighting, or atmospheric testing. This groundbreaking technology empowers them to capture high-resolution 4K videos, photographs, generate precise 3D point-cloud models, 2D CAD-based drawings, and even perform thermal imaging. Regardless of the tank’s dimensions, whether it be a 1.8m double bottom or a full-scale preload tank spanning the vessel’s hull height, this system guarantees the acquisition of meticulous and accurate data.

One cannot overstate the pivotal aspect of eradicating human entry into these spaces. This visionary inspection tool based on visual data ensures comprehensive tank assessments while eliminating potential hazards to human life. Whether it is a diligent roustabout or an astute class inspector, individuals are no longer required to venture into the tank until necessary work commences or further examinations become imperative.
Ravi Maini, a distinguished Director of Operations and the esteemed ZXR Team Manager, possesses nearly two decades of invaluable firefighting experience. He underscores the paramount significance of life safety and affirms, “With our innovative solution, we mitigate risks for individuals who would otherwise be compelled to navigate these spaces, thereby saving precious lives, time, and resources.”
Another pivotal feature worth highlighting is the efficiency of the capture process. In a recent project, the exceptional ZXR Team astoundingly surveyed 31 tanks within an astonishingly short span of merely 2.5 days. This remarkable achievement not only minimizes vessel downtime but also surpasses client expectations by facilitating visual inspections and enabling effective planning for the vessel’s upcoming 5-year survey conducted by the class society. This streamlined tank inspection protocol only necessitates the presence of the proficient two-person ZXR Team and a single diligent roustabout responsible for opening and closing each tank’s manhole. The comprehensive reports provided to clients meticulously outline Points of Interest (POI) and meticulously notate them as low, medium, high, or critical, accompanied by corresponding recommendations. These well-defined POIs serve as a guide, directing the client’s attention, while the entirety of the flight for each tank is submitted as a comprehensive deliverable, empowering clients to interpret the data at their own pace.

The unparalleled image quality and its versatile applicability across various use-cases stand out as defining characteristics of our cutting-edge technology. Our state-of-the-art system ensures unparalleled image quality through the utilization of 4K video and imagery, enhanced by the illumination provided by a remarkable 10,000 lumens of light. This exceptional amalgamation guarantees the production of visually stunning graphics as the sole deliverable. Within our comprehensive reports, meticulously time-stamped photos of Points of Interest (POI) serve as easy references within the corresponding video footage. Furthermore, each image’s precise location within the 3D point cloud is meticulously indicated. It is noteworthy that the captured 3D point cloud facilitates precise measurements with an impressive precision of +/- 2 cm. This remarkable level of accuracy is consistently maintained when integrating the point cloud into CAD-based software, ensuring reliable and meticulous data for further analysis and utilization.
Traditionally, tank inspections have been laborious undertakings involving scaffolding,