Open AccessA Study of the Feasibility of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and Remotely Operated Vehicles in Black Sea
Author(s) -
Octavian Tărăbuţă
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
scientific bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2392-8956
pISSN - 1454-864X
DOI - 10.21279/1454-864x-18-i1-067
Subject(s) - remotely operated underwater vehicle , modular design , intervention auv , propulsion , underwater , remotely operated vehicle , engineering , marine engineering , computer science , automotive engineering , mobile robot , robot , artificial intelligence , aerospace engineering , oceanography , geology , operating system
An underwater vehicle designed for industrial use in the Black Sea has to tackle two specific characteristics of it, given by its enclosed nature: the strong vertical stratification and the high content of hydrogen sulfide at greater depths. These particular environmental conditions impose also new approaches of design and technology for construction. The innovation foreseen of our study is the very concept of a universal underwater vehicle, based on modular design. Currently, unmanned underwater vehicles are controlled in two main ways, either autonomously (AUV) or by data transfer through an umbilical cable (ROV). Despite the fact AUV and ROV have many common characteristics they are used separately and are disjoint throughout their life cycle. To increase the technical performances and economic efficiency of such vehicles, we planned to design a universal carrier platform able to support different modules. Based on the common carrier sub-system, DCUV (Dual Controlled Underwater Vehicles) can be assembled as an AUV, controlled autonomously and by radio when surfaced. After its recovery and transfer of the sea data recorded during its evolution as an AUV, the specific modules (sensors and battery) are replaced with functional modules needed to change it into an ROV, which can be then remotely controlled towards the contacts of interest. The concept of providing DCUV with a common propulsion unit will be eased by designing of an innovative multi-control system that will integrate data from sensors and human operator with the propulsion motors and end effectors, based on state-of- the-art microcontrollers and their appropriate programming.