NDE 2018 Conference & Exhibition of the Indian Society for NDT (ISNT), 19-21 December 2018, Mumbai,

India

Underwater Inspection in Lieu of Dry-Docking (UWILD) using Remotely

Operated Vehicles (ROV)
A. Antony JACOB1, Manas GALIPALLI1, Vineet UPADHYAY1, Prabhu RAJAGOPAL2
and Krishnan BALASUBRAMANIAM2
1
Planys Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Chennai, TN-600091, India
More info about this article: http://www.ndt.net/?id=24377

Phone: +91 9500715805; Email: ashish.aj@planystech.com, manas.g@planystech.com, vineet@planystech.com

2
Centre for Nondestructive Evaluation (CNDE), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, Chennai, TN-
600113, India; Phone: +91 44 2257 5688; Email: prajagopal@iitm.ac.in, balas@iitm.ac.in

Abstract
Large marine vessels are inspected periodically to prevent catastrophic damage and ensure crew and
environmental safety following statutory norms. Underwater Inspection in Lieu of Dry-Docking (UWILD) is
used as an alternative to the conventional dry-docking methodology of inspecting marine vessels wherein the
submerged part of the vessel hull is inspected while in operation to reduce downtime, additional travel time and
cost. Conventionally, UWILD surveys are performed using divers carrying cleaning and inspecting payloads. In
this paper, Planys Technologies Pvt. Ltd presents an UWILD survey of a bulk carrier vessel using a remotely
operated vehicle (ROV). Following the ROV based UWILD survey, major damages and significant marine
growth were noticed on the port-side bilge keel and on the intake gratings, respectively. The paint condition of
the stern of the ship and the rudder also had irregularities. Ultrasonic thickness measurement revealed healthy
condition of ship plating and permissible limits of depletion of the sacrificial anodes. These observations were
made live in the presence of a class surveyor and representatives of the vessel management company. The
survey helped draft an immediate action plan for repair of the bilge keel and cleaning of the intake gratings. It
was also further concluded that the vessel need not dry dock to make these repairs, thus saving significant
downtime and associated costs.

Keywords: ROV, UWILD, inspection, ships

1. Introduction
It is important for naval and commercial floating vessels to assess the conditions of various
critical components including hulls, coatings and cathodic protection systems to increase their
usable life, prevent unplanned maintenance and catastrophic damages. Further, the regulatory
requirements mandate periodic inspections of ships hulls which are conventionally performed
by professional divers while the ship is in drydock. Recent advances in technology and the
increasing need to meet demands of industries in domains including power, energy and
automotive have led to stringent economic, regulatory and safety requirements to enhance
profitability, prevent catastrophic failure and loss of lives.

Conventionally, ship hull inspections for commercial carriers are performed in drydock.
About 98% of all hull inspections are done on the exterior hull during dry-dock. Underwater
inspection in-lieu of drydock (UWILD) is allowed by certain regulatory bodies and is
typically performed by divers using visual and ultrasonic thickness (UT) measurement
methodologies. However, only a few ports allow good diver visibility. Further, UT
measurements require removal of bio-fouling which is challenging for divers; instead, a
cleaner spot is found where UT can be performed. This work-around leads to undesirable
sparse sampling of hull thickness and can lead to missing the inspection of critical sections of
the vessel [1]. In this paper, an ROV based methodology of inspection of vessel hulls is
presented. Several advantages over the conventional diver based approach are obtained
including stable visual and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) in turbid and harsh
 NDE 2018 Conference & Exhibition of the Indian Society for NDT (ISNT), 19-21 December 2018, Mumbai, India

environmental conditions, in-situ hull cleaning systems, improved repeatability and

mitigation of the inherent risk involved in diver based operations.

Planys Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (www.planystech.com) is an IIT Madras incubated startup that
provides immersed inspection and survey solutions using indigenously manufactured
submersible ROVs. Planys emerged from and is closely associated with the Centre for
Nondestructive Evaluation (CNDE), IIT Madras (www.cnde.in).

This paper is organized as follows. Following a brief introduction, the methodology of

inspection is described with key features and capabilities explained. Following which, a case
study of an ROV based UWILD inspection is presented. Key observations and findings are
then, described. The paper then concludes with a summary.

2. Methodology
Planys technologies was invited to perform an UWILD survey of a roll-on/ roll-off cargo
vessel measuring 125 m in length and 20 m in breadth, with an average draught of 8.5 m in
the port of Chennai.

2.1 ROV Beluga

Planys technologies’ indigenously developed ROV Beluga, an observation class ROV [2],
illustrated in Figure 1, is a compact, modular and portable ROV that can sustain 2-4 meters of
wave height, moderately rough swell, up to 1 m/s of sea current and can dive up to 200
meters of depth. Detailed technical specifications of Beluga are provided in Table 1. Beluga
carries an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) for orientation feedback, a pressure sensor for
depth feedback and a Global Positioning System (GPS) for position feedback on the water
surface. Beluga’s modular architecture allows it to carry a variety of different payloads such
as high-definition cameras, high-intensity lights, LASERs for scaling and crack
measurement, altimeter, an ultrasonic thickness measurement unit, cathodic potential
measurement unit, bio-fouling cleaning equipment, 2D & 3D Imaging/Scanning SONARs
[3].

Figure 1 A photograph of ROV Beluga highlighting its key features

 NDE 2018 Conference & Exhibition of the Indian Society for NDT (ISNT), 19-21 December 2018, Mumbai, India

Table 1 Design parameters, specifications and key features of the ROV Beluga
developed by Planys Technologies

Parameter Specifications and Features

Dimensions 730 x 820 x 600 [mm]
Depth range 200 m
Total weight in air 53 kg
Maximum Payload 10 – 15 kg
Power rating 3000 W (maximum)
Endurance Unlimited
Control System Auto-depth, Auto-Heading
0.01 % Full-Scale Accuracy; Temperature
Depth Sensor
Compensated

The ROV is tethered to the command module, by which the pilot controls the ROV remotely.
The command module is placed on a safe location and typically consists of computers, power
converters and motion control modules. ROV beluga is light and can be deployed by a small
crew. The command module also carries visualization modules to view high-definition live
data and video feed from the ROV. Additionally, special payloads including side-scan sonar,
multibeam sonar, and GPS modules, can be added based on the application and requirements.

2.2 Sensors and Payloads

2.2.1 Visual and Ultrasonic Testing Modules

Visual and UT modules are the key components of a UWILD operation [4]. ROV Beluga is
equipped with high-definition cameras delivering a resolution of 1080p with 60 frames per
second. The camera is placed in customized hermetically sealed enclosures rated for 200 m of
depth, an illustration of which is shown in Figure 2(a). Additionally, as shown in Figure 2(b),
video enhancement algorithms are used to improve video quality in low light and turbid
waters, and to compensate for the loss in colour underwater [5]. Further, to improve
repeatability, the recorded videos are overlaid with metadata such as depth, dive and location
information and GPS locations based on the requirements. Snapshots from the video and
additional information are presented in the following section.

(a) (b)
Figure 2 Illustration of (a) the camera and its sealed enclosure (b) sample results from the video enhancements
showing the raw video on the left of an underwater pile and the enhanced video on the right
 NDE 2018 Conference & Exhibition of the Indian Society for NDT (ISNT), 19-21 December 2018, Mumbai, India

Off the shelf and custom-developed ultrasonic testing modules, as shown in previous work by
the authors (please see ref. [4] and [7] for more details) can be used on ROV Beluga based on
the application. Photographs of the ultrasonic testing equipment used for the UWILD
operation are shown in Figure 3. Further results from the UT measurements in the operation
are presented in the following section. A 2.25 MHz ultrasonic transducer is used for the UT
measurement in contact pulse-echo mode. Cavitation cleaning of the structure is done prior to
performing UT. Further details on the cleaning module is provided in the following
subsection.

(a) (b)
Figure 3 Photographs of ROV Beluga (a) equipped with the ultrasonic thickness module (b) view from the
ROV’s front camera during the UT measurement

2.2.2 Cleaning modules

Cleaning modules play a vital role in helping the ROV perform UT measurements in critical
regions of the vessel which are bio-fouled. ROV Beluga can carry two types of cleaning
equipment, viz., brush-based spot-cleaning (as mentioned in Figure 1) and cavitation cleaning
(please find the photographs below in Figure 4) based on the application. Spot-cleaning
involves cleaning the surface of interest using a brush spun with a powerful motor, whereas,
cavitation cleaning involves using the phenomena of ultrasonic cleaning where tiny bubbles
implode on the surface of interest, thereby clearing the surface. The cleaning module on ROV
Beluga can output a flow rate of 10 to 12 litres per minutes and output pressures of up to 100
bar.

(a) (b)
Figure 4 Photograph showing (a) engineers performing final checks of the cavitation cleaning gun on ROV
Beluga before deployment (b) view from the ROV’s front camera during a cleaning operation

3. Results and Discussion

In this section, sample results from the UWILD operation are presented including results
from the UT measurement, visual inspection of different vessel components and cathodic
protection systems. The visual inspection using ROV Beluga during the inspection of the
 NDE 2018 Conference & Exhibition of the Indian Society for NDT (ISNT), 19-21 December 2018, Mumbai, India

vessel revealed an overall satisfactory condition excepting the following irregularities.

Damages resulting from anchor chaffing were observed; severe damage to the bilge keel was
also observed. Further investigation revealed coating loss on the rudder, severe bio-fouling on
the stern, moderate loss of anode thickness and sufficient clearance for the rudder, as shown
in Figures 5 (a-f), respectively.

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

(e) (f)
Figure 5 Photographs from the visual inspection of a vessel during an UWILD operation indicating (a) anchor
chain chaffing on the bow (b) severe damage to the bilge keel (c) coating and paint loss on the rudder (d) bio-
fouling on the stern (e) condition of anode on the propeller and (f) condition of the rudder clearance from the
support structure

Sample results from the UT measurements of the rudder of the vessel are presented in Figure
6 (in mm). The rudder of the vessel is divided into six sections. Following cleaning of areas
with bio-fouling, several trials of UT were performed and were averaged in each of these
sections. These results are overlaid on an illustrated model of a section of the rudder. The
results indicated a satisfactory thickness of the section of the rudder.
 NDE 2018 Conference & Exhibition of the Indian Society for NDT (ISNT), 19-21 December 2018, Mumbai, India

(a) (b)
Figure 6 An illustration (a) indicating the section where the ultrasonic thickness measurements are recorded
during the UWILD survey (reproduced from ref. [8]) (b) sample results of the UT measurements averaged and
overlaid on an illustration of a section of the rudder of the vessel; the indicated measurements are in mm.

4. Summary and Conclusion

This paper presents an ROV based inspection methodology for inspection of ship hulls. Key
features of ROV Beluga are explained with sample results validating several advantages
claimed over the conventional diver based approach. A case study then presents key
observations and findings from an ROV based UWILD inspection of a vessel, wherein results
from visual and ultrasonic thickness measurements provide insights into the integrity of the
vessel under examination.

5. References

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[3] V. Upadhyay, S. Gupta, and P. Agarwal, “Multi-functional Remotely Operated
Submersible Vehicle (ROV) System, Patent Application Number 201741022485,”
2016.
[4] D. Constantinis, J. Forsyth, and H. Botta, “A New Approach for Effective Underwater
Hull Inspection of Floating Offshore Assets,” in Offshore Technology Conference,
2016, pp. 1–13.
[5] S. Gupta, V. Upadhyay, and T. Jhunjhunwala, “An Remotely Operated Vehicle system
for Underwater Data Processing and Method Thereof, Patent Application Number
201741022484,” 2016.
[6] A. J. Ashish, M. Galipali, V. Upadhyay, and K. Balasubramaniam, “A Novel
Ultrasonic Inspection Methodology for Submerged Metallic Structures using a
Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV),” in ISNT JNDE, 2017, vol. 1, pp. 14–16.
[7] A. J. Ashish, M. Galipali, and V. Upadhyay, “Underwater Ultrasonic Thickness
Measurement Unit, Patent Application Number 201641041814,” 2016.
[8] O. Moctar, V. Shigunov, and T. Zorn, “Duisburg Test Case: Post-Panamax Container
Ship for Benchmarking,” Sh. Technol. Res., vol. 59, pp. 50–64, 2012.