INTRODUCTION TO

REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLES

(ROV)
What is a ROV?
A Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) is:
 A tethered underwater robot carrying out observation, inspection & manual tasks.
 Common in deepwater industries such as offshore hydrocarbon extraction.
 An ROV is unoccupied.
 Highly manoeuvrable & operated by a person aboard a vessel.
 Linked to the ship by a tether or umbilical carrying electrical power, video & bi-directional data
control system & sensor data.
 High power systems will generally use hydraulic power in addition to electrical.
 Most ROVs are equipped with at least a video camera, lights, gyro & sonar
 Additional equipment commonly added to exp& the vehicle’s capabilities is:
 Magnetometers, Sub bottom profilers
 Digital Still cameras
 Manipulator
 Cutters, Torque Tools, Grinders
 Water samplers, Marine life samplers, Sediment samplers
 Bathymetric systems, Multibeam High Resolution sonars
Purposes of a ROV
 Survey pipelines
 Inspect offshore platforms
 Install subsea structures
 Remove subsea structures
 Bury pipelines & cables (ploughs & trenchers)
 Munitions removal
 Observation of divers
 Hull inspections of vessels
 Scientific research
 Television documentaries
 Air & ship accident investigation/recovery
What makes up an ROV system?

 Control system (Data comms, joystick, pilot’s monitor)

 Sensors (depth, altitude, sonar, camera)
 Power supply system (transformer, cables, generator)
 Subsea vehicle - ROV
 Subsea tether management system (TMS)
 Hydraulic power system (motor/pump, manifolds,
piping/hoses)
 Propulsion system (vertical/horizontal thruster motors)
 Launch & recovery system-LARS (winch, A-frame,
crane)
 Electrical Power Video Monitors
ROV Control system
Special Tooling Control
monitor Control Console
380-480Vac 3 phase Pilot’s monitor System/Sensors
Generator/Vessel supply Navigators monitor
TMS Inst/Hydraulic Supervisors monitor Jupiter
Gyro display Control Joysticks
Transformer Client monitors PSSL
Depth display Switch Console
ROV Instrument/Hydraulic Vessel Bridge monitor Multibeam
System Diagnostics
transformer Surveyors monitor
Main umbilical

System Control and Data Telemetry system

Main Lift and Electrical

umbilical Specialist Tooling computer/
Video Transmission system Analogue and Digital Multiplexer Control system
| Control systems
TMS

Power Distribution System Video Cameras Sensors Tooling

Thruster Control System
DC-DC convertors Colour zoom Depth Sensor Wire rope cutters
AC-DC Power supplies Low Light Gyro Hydraulic Power Unit
7 function manipulator
3000Vac/110Vac Xfmr Digital Stills Sonar Thruster Control Manifold
5 function manipulator
Instrument power Rear Viewing Altimeter Tooling manifold
Hydraulic Grinder
Lighting power TMS Viewing Temperature Thruster motors
ROV knife
Sensor power Hydraulic Pressure Pan and Tilt units
Torque Tools
Tooling power Electrical (Voltage/Current)
System Diagnostics
Pictorial History of ROV Systems

US Navy Cutlet -1950 RCV 150 -1980 Scorpio - 1980

Triton 1980-2010
Classes of ROV
 Observation Class
 Inspection/Survey Class
 Work Class
 Special
 Towed
 Bottom Crawlers & Ploughs
 Dredging
 Military
 Mining
 Autonomous
LBV 150
 Suitcase ROV system

 4 Electric powered thrusters

 Quickly mobilised as emergency

system

 H&-deployed

 Limited capability

 150 msw depth rating

Saab Seaeye Tiger 845
 Observation class

 Vectored / Electric powered

thrusters

 Mobile system

 Single mode fibre optics

 Seaeye single function

manipulator

 1,000 msw depth rating

Schilling Robotics UHD ROV
Triton XLS Demo in Test Tank
Perry Slingsby Triton XLX ROV
Special Purpose ROVs

Underwater Mining ROV

Beach Cable Lay ROV

Launch & Recovery Systems
 ODIM

 Tekmar

 Dynacon

 Lawson

 Cetix Sepro
Tether Management Systems (TMS)

Schilling XE TMS Perry Type V TMS Saab Sea-eye Garage Sub Atlantic Garage
Schilling Titan 4 - 7 Function Manipulator
Schilling Titan 4 - 7 Function Manipulator Demo
Schilling Rigmaster - 5 Function Grabber
Schilling Rigmaster - 5 Function Manipulator Demo
ROV Launch Systems
ROV launch systems fit into five main categories:
 A-Frame Launch Systems
 Waveriding Launch Systems
 Moonpool Launch Systems
 Wire Guided Cursor Launch Systems
 Rail Guided Cursor Launch Systems
ROV Launch Systems
ROV launch systems fit into five main categories:
 A-Frame Launch Systems
 Waveriding Launch Systems
 Moonpool Launch Systems
 Wire Guided Cursor Launch Systems
 Rail Guided Cursor Launch Systems
Questions & Discussion

Thank you!

Scorpio - circa 1979

Quest - circa 2005