Page 14: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2016)

Renewable Energy

Saab Seaeye:

Meeting the Challenges of Renewables

The renewable industry presents special challenges for un- coastal submarine cables and pipelines. The result is a small derwater robotic vehicle operations with its shallow waters, and smart survey system that is designed to cut the cost of high currents, intricate structures and, in some locations, inshore survey work. unexploded ordnance. Saab Seaeye has found good success In Japan, where in a crowded and mountainous country the in the sector with a range of vehicles specially suited for the search for sites must go offshore, ? oating turbines in the deep challenging tasks involved in building and maintaining the waters off the rugged coastline is the main option. Here, sure- structures and interconnections. footed anchorage to the seabed is vital in such a vulnerable en-

With a range of robotic systems that are ideally suited for the vironment and a Saab Seaeye Falcon ROV is used to check the sector. In particular, vehicles need to have exceptional power, integrity of the mooring points 100 m down, in an operation along with fast acting intelligent control systems that together where this easily manhandled but powerful vehicle is readily can handle strong currents while undertaking a wide range of deployed from a small vessel.

tasks - including survey, disposal of unexploded ordnance, For any operator facing more work related tasks in renewable construction and IRM. sectors, there is the Panther XT Plus and the Leopard – the

Saab Seaeye’s low-pro? le Compact Cougar, for example, is newest addition to the Saab Seaeye range.

designed to minimize the effect of current with its reduced The Panther is a powerful light work vehicle with 10 thrust- frame size, buoyancy and weight – and a thinner 17mm tether ers that will hold the vehicle steady in strong currents during cable that reduces the effect of drag. work and observation tasks. Innovatum in particular use the

It means that it can be used for tasks highly speci? c to the Panther for cable laying support.

renewables industry, such as identifying the existence and lo- The Leopard, with its half ton of thrust, high tooling capabil- cation of buried cables. Innovatum, who design and manu- ity and advanced iCON intelligent control architecture, is the facture such survey systems for tracking and detecting buried most powerful electric underwater robotic system of its size in submarine cables and pipelines, use the Compact Cougar for the world and is seen as equivalent to an hydraulic vehicle, but this work, along with the even smaller Falcon, where not only at a fraction of the ownership and operating cost.

do both vehicles have the power to handle the system array As the renewable industry grows and matures, Saab Seaeye and the high currents, but they also have a low magnetic and sees an increasing role for robotic systems, particularly in acoustic noise signature that allows for optimum survey sen- IRM activities, with vehicles having an ever more intelligent sor data. and versatile infrastructure that allows evolving systems tech-

For Innovatum the Compact Cougar and the Falcon together nology to be readily added and changed, while continuing to offer a rapidly mobilized array package that can be deployed provide a powerful and steady platform to undertake the range from a small vessel ready to survey all types of inshore and of tasks needed, at a low operational cost.

May 2016 14

MTR

MTR #4 (1-17).indd 14 4/28/2016 10:20:03 AM