Remotely Operated Vehicle(s)

A new 6000-m capable ROV is in the design and construction phases and will be delivered to SOEST in late 2012.

The RCV-150 ROV was a remotely operated robotic submersible that was operated by HURL between 1998 and 2011. It was piloted from a shipboard station, receiving power and commands from the surface control console via a steel armored electro-mechanical fiber optical cable. The vehicle could operate to depths of 914 meters (3000 ft). It was equipped with two color video cameras with lights and a CTD which sent data directly up the wire. RCV-150 was primarily used as a video survey tool that could acquire extremely close-up views because of its small size and maneuverability.

General Data

• Length: 52"
• Width: 47"
• Height: 43"
• Buoyancy in water: 15 lb
• Weight in air: 1,215 lb
• Payload: 100 lb
• Operators: 2
• Max. Operating Depth: 3,000 ft
• Power: 880 VAC via umbilical
• Propulsion: four 10" diameter thrusters, two horizontal, two vertical
• Speed: 1.5 knots forward, 0.5 knot vertical (approximate)
• Duration: limited by operator endurance

Construction

• Hydro Products Corporation, San Diego, California
• Materials
  • syntactic foam
  • filled glass reinforced plastic
  • aluminum pressure bottles
  • glass dome

Systems

Hydraulic System

• Electrically driven hydraulic pump,
• 15 gpm, to the following equipment
• thrusters
• manipulator

Controls and Instrumentation

The pilot and co-pilot have available all controls necessary for the operation of all remote operated vehicle systems in both normal and emergency situations.

Equipment

• Analog video camera on pan/tilt, wide angle camera, and overhead cage camera
• Laser scaling system, 6" separation
• Six (6) 250-W lamps
• Tritech SeaKing scanning sonar system
• Hydro Products altimeter
• Falmouth Scientific Micro CTD
• Line cutting manipulator
• Tracking pinger, USBL beacon on TMS
• Novatech strobe

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