Page 52: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Mar/Apr 2014)

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The blend of iCON technology and 11 thrusters in the small footprint Leopard, illustrates how intelligent architecture is advancing underwater vehicle design to bring greater operational benefts to the market at a lower real cost.

Subsea

Photos: Saab Seaeye.

maneuverable, a Hybrid can undertake a number of complex tasks. Asset integrity and environmental monitoring of oil and gas installations are some examples.

This is well-illustrated by a project developed by Eni Norge and Tecnomare, called Clean Sea (continuous long- term environmental and asset integrity monitoring at sea). The Clean Sea team sought to overcome the shortcomings of environmental monitoring and inspec- tion of oil and gas infrastructures, typi- cally restricted to an annual undertaking and involves supply vessels and various underwater systems.

They recognized that the industry is moving into more challenging develop- ment areas–possibly in remote, hostile or

Underwater environmentally-sensitive places–where conventional methods may be unsafe or unsustainable. intelligence

For the task they picked the Sabertooth

AUV/ROV Hybrid, not just for its 360° Saab Seaeye’s Matt Bates is being met. The design of the new maneuverability and hovering character-

Leopard is a case in point. istics–necessary to operate in the prox- discusses the evolution of ROV

Fitted with 11 thrusters it is the most imity of structures, while undertaking and AUV intelligence. powerful ROV of its size in the world, yet inspection and monitoring tasks–but that can handle more tooling, cameras and its intelligent open-interface architec- ntelligent underwater vehicles are survey equipment than any other ROV in ture meant the Clean Sea team could ft bringing new opportunities and sav- its class. interchangeable modules, which they call

I ings to offshore operators. Nevertheless, it still fts into the E-PODs.

Behavior-based architecture means a minimal deck footprint combination of Each E-POD module is dedicated to a vehicle can effectively think for itself. a 20x8ft, single lift A-Frame and winch particular task that can include automatic

Such dynamic decision-making offers a LARS, and a 20ft control cabin–for easy water sampling, hydrocarbon leakage greater range of possibilities for a vehicle transport and rapid mobilization. detection, chemical analysis, visual to operate independently–on program- The emergence of intelligent architec- inspection and acoustic surveying.

mable missions, for instance–and if dam- ture, embodied in developments like the The advantage of a modular concept is aged, stay alive by re-allocating systems. iCON control system, across ROVs, AUVs that a number of E-PODs can be readied

Important for operators is that intelli- and AUV/ROV Hybrids, is a key devel- for environmental monitoring during all gent architecture also means more equip- opment in the industry and is introduc- phases of feld development. ment can be carried on a smaller vehicle, ing ever more innovative technological A selection of E-PODs can typically than would otherwise be the case. solutions. include: baseline monitoring before activ-

But more kit needs more thruster Take the Hybrid for example, which ity takes place; along with environmental power, and this combination needs intel- combines the autonomous remote opera- impact monitoring during exploration ligent architecture for best control of the tion characteristics of an AUV with the and production; post-incident monitor- system and to create a stable and maneu- work capability of an ROV. In this case, ing to record effects and environmental verable platform for working at remote on-board intelligence allows programma- recovery; general spill and hydrocarbon tasks and coping with strong currents. ble missions to be undertaken and will leakage detection; also visual inspection

Yet, while operators welcome smarter also let the vehicle adapt automatically of structures, manifolds and associated technology that is able to handle more in response to external infuences. equipment.

kit with more power, they still want a In free-swimming mode, its 360° The hybrid’s intelligence can modify a vehicle to stay inside a small footprint. maneuverability means it can enter struc- pre-programmed mission in real-time, so

With components getting smaller and tures and undertake work tasks without that in response to the detection of a leak smarter, and such innovative design con- fear of tether entanglement. it will autonomously pinpoint the leak by cepts emerging, the footprint challenge Being programmable, intelligent and subsequent analysis of gas measurements

March 2014 | OE oedigital.com 54 054_OE0314_Subsea1-Saab.indd 54 2/21/14 12:53 PM