Patent Document ID: 20120250004
Application ID: 13485845
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for determining structural health of a pressure vessel with steps comprising: (a) measuring a plurality of cardinal points fixed to said pressure vessel from a plurality of locations, wherein at least one retroreflector is attached to each of said cardinal points, a plurality of electronic distance measurement instruments are mounted in a stable reference coordinate system, and a central processor coordinates said plurality of electronic distance measurement instruments; (b) measuring at least a first range from a first electronic distance measurement instrument to a first cardinal point, a second range from a second electronic distance measurement instrument to said first cardinal point, and a third range from a third electronic distance measurement instrument to said first cardinal point, wherein said first electronic distance measurement instrument is at a first location, said second electronic distance measurement instrument is at a second location, said third electronic distance measurement instrument is at a third location, and wherein said first location, said second location, and said third location are three different locations; (c) storing at least said first, second, and third ranges; (d) computing a first three-dimensional coordinate of said first cardinal point, in said stable reference coordinate system, based at least in part on said first, second, and third ranges; (e) determining at least a first structural health parameter of said pressure vessel based at least in part on said first three-dimensional coordinate; (f) storing said first structural health parameter.