Description
Propulsion is supplied by four interchangeable thrusters. Two are mounted horizontally and thrust the vehicle forward, astern, and provide clockwise and anti clockwise direction. One thruster is mounted laterally and thrusts the vehicle port and starboard. The fourth thruster is mounted vertically and thrusts up and down. The thrusters are easy to work on and the supplied manual carries work instructions for various maintenance procedures.
There can be up to three cameras fitted to the ROV. One is fitted to a tilt unit and is the pilots’ camera, another is fitted to the frame viewing forward and the third is fitted to view aft. All cameras are colour. Standard Cameras are housed in Stainless 316L or can be supplied in Acetyl (if final weight is a major consideration).
The tilt unit which carries the pilots’ camera and light is housed in lightweight Acetyl and is electrically driven from the surface console unit. The unit tilts 70 degrees up and 100 degrees down, however this footprint can be increased by minor adjustments.
Three high powered RSL LED lights are fitted to the vehicle. All can be dimmed. One light is fitted to the tilt unit, one forward and one on the rear of the vehicle. The light is extremely robust with a long life capability. They are extremely bright and should not be viewed directly with the human eye.
To enable radiological readings to be taken, a Radiation Probe is fitted to the vehicle. The readings are indicated by a unit in the control room. The probe has a range of 0.1 micro sieverts an hour to 10 milli sieverts an hour.
The Winch Assembly is also referred to as the reeling drum. It can be designed by RSL to be of modular construction to facilitate ease of mobilisation. The winch can have lockable wheels. Located on the reeling drum are the static and rotating junction boxes, slip rings, single phase motor controller, umbilical and remote pendant for operation away from the shine path. The reeling drum requires a supply of 440vac three phase but other voltages can be accommodated. The frame has a certified lift point.
The ROV Console is the heart of the system. It is connected to the ROV hand controller via a QM connector. It is connected to the deck cable using another QM connector via the control room junction box. The Console is designed to fit into a 19” rack system. On board the console there is an enable switch to turn the console power on LED indications for 240vac live and neutral Emergency stop Separate fused switches for the ROV power and lights All four thrusters are independently enabled and monitored Thruster voltages and current monitors Healthy LED indicator for motors.
The console requires a 240vac supply fed via an RCD. Total current should not exceed 16amps. The control room junction box will require a 240vac supply for its internal power supplies. The reeling drum assembly requires a 440vac single phase supply for the drive motor.
The ROV has been designed to interface with a manipulator skid. The skid is placed within the footprint of the ROV frame and clevis pins are used to secure the two frames. This is to facilitate a quick fit whilst wearing restrictive PPE. THere are three whips from the umbilical mould, HPU, valve chest and emergency relief valve. The manipulator is operated using a separate hand controller, which is interfaced into the umbilical via the control room junction box. The on board hydraulic motor will only run when a function is selected. This is a design feature to keep running hours to a minimum and to prevent overheating of the hydraulic system. As the skid is interchangeable, there are possiblities for this vehicle to grow with the tasks presented.
The Hand Controller has all the required controls to operate the ROV. It is connected to the main console via a QM connector. LED indicators show that the relevant control supplies are present. THe thrusters are controlled by using the joystick and the vertical pot which hasa centre detent for zero demand.
The joystick controls the forward/astern movement, lateral port and starboard and clockwise/anti-clockwise rotation.
All control is proportional and can be operated together as is required to manoeuvre the vehicle in a controlled measure. Lights are dimmed by using the variable light dimmer pot. The pilots’camera can be zoomed and focussed by use of the small push button switches. The tilt unit is controlled by two push button switches.
All power and control for the vehicle is fed via the umbilical which is terminated with a multi mould. The power and control is then distributed throughout the vehicle via two termination units. ALl of the connectors and plugs are Subconn (a well proven, off the shelf, underwater product used widely in the oil and gas industry). The main umbilical can be up to 200M long if required (or client determined) and is slightly positively buoyant. It has sufficent conductors for the vehicles power and signal requirements.
As part of our robust design ethos, all thrusters lights, hydraulic functions and tilt drives are powered from the control console through the umbilical. There are spares in the umbilical in the unlikely even of a conductor failure.
At the vehicle end the umbilical is terminated with a multi mould and the top end is terminated via a rotating junction box through a slip ring assembly, through a static junction box, fed through a free standing marshalling box via a deck cable to the control room where it is terminated into a junction box where the console, Rad probe and manipulator control box are interfaced.
