Page 50: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jan/Feb 2020)

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FEATURE ROVs

Thinking out of the box

Source: SMD

All electric systems are starting to free a product in 2020 – but will also to be developments in arti? cial intelligence.

companies from the traditional strict used as a harness for other form factor Collins says the EV will have 20% more form factors that ROVs traditionally take. systems, such as AUVs because of its thrust and 50% fewer moving parts,

With a more ? exible modular harness, modularity. compared to hydraulic systems. It’s also vehicles can be built from standardized Key was going all-electric, using an 20% more compact and 20% lighter, building blocks. in-house designed 25kW DC electric so it can be operated from smaller

Saab Seaeye has been making noises propulsion system, to make it more vessels. A hydraulic power unit has been in this direction, using the smarts it’s environmentally friendly but also developed for using hydraulic tools – been developing for the Sabertooth for more energy ef? cient, compared with until all-electric tooling is developed new electric vehicles. hydraulically powered systems, says – using the new DC thruster motors

Another ? rm looking to enter the Collins. This includes a new thruster, and new hydraulic control units. When resident vehicle space is SMD. Last based on an enclosed magnetic gear electric tools do come, they will be able year it launched its Quantum EV ROV. box with only two moving parts, and a to be stored on the vehicle in the space

While the Quantum EV ROV made new HV DC transmission system. That freed up by removing hydraulics, instead the headlines, what SMD launched means smaller diameter umbilicals can of having to add skids.

was a technology suite, rather than a be used and down to 6,000 meters, “The technology is a family of single ROV, based on an open-electric providing power to a 680-volt ring main industrialized building blocks for subsea framework for whatever shape vehicle DC system, that allows plug and play machines,” says Collins. “These are is required and that can be adapted systems. scalable and can be brought together to for a variety of tethered or untethered It’s been designed to operate form different machines. We created a operations. tethered or untethered with a battery Work Class ROV using the technology for

Mark Collins, SMD’s Director for as a resident system or deployed the initial launch, but that is because it is

Remote and Autonomous Technologies, from manned or unmanned vessels. familiar. We could have easily created a said four years’ work has gone into And, the design aims to allow easy underwater intervention drone or another the design, which will be available as build-in of future technologies, such as type of vehicle.” 50 OFFSHORE ENGINEER OEDIGITAL.COM