Workspace control system of underwater tele-operated manipulators on an ROV

This paper presents a control technique for structured undersea tasks that require a high degree of precision. The overall efficiency of tele-operated underwater manipulation is improved by reducing the burden on the human operator. A new workspace-control system composed of a computer and input devices in workspace was developed to support the operator. The computer transforms the desired velocity of end-effector in workspaces to desired joint angles by solving the inverse kinematics of the slave manipulators. The desired joint angles are transferred to the slave controller through RS-485 serial communication, and be followed by the slave manipulator. The developed master system provides advantages in conducting structured tasks(coring, drilling, underwater connector mating, etc.) that require precise control of the end-effector’s motion and attitude. The existing master system, however, is more useful for unstructured tasks than newly developed master system. By combining the two master systems, the work efficiency of the underwater tele-operated manipulator system was improved. This paper presents the development of the workspace-control system and a working strategy to alleviate operator’s burden in underwater works. Experimental results are presented to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method using underwater manipulators mounted on the KORDI deep-sea ROV Hemire.     

Impulse control method for hydraulic propulsion system used in 3500 m work-class ROV

In terms of the nonlinear characteristics of hydraulic propulsion system used in 3500 m rated work-class ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle), the paper improved the responsiveness of the hydraulic propulsion system by adding an impulse signal to the input end of the system. Because the maximum static damping moment provided from water is much larger than the dynamic damping moment, it results in large dead zone of thrust during the startup process of the hydraulic propulsion system. The dead zone of thrust caused by static damping moment can be effectively reduced by adding a specific impulse signal to the input end of the propulsion system. The results of numerical simulations and underwater experiments show that using this method, the nonlinear characteristics of the hydraulic propulsion system have been significantly improved.     

基于长基线系统深海采矿ROV精确定位

对于深海采矿集矿机ROV的定位,采用传统的长基线水声定位系统通常存在较大误差。对此提出了一种新的算法模型,首先通过比较集矿机测量位置与前一次修正位置的几何关系,对当前集矿机的位置进行修正,然后利用新的集矿机位置修正声速的数值,并得出重新修正后的集矿机测量位置。这样反复的多重迭代使得在某一时刻集矿机ROV的测量位置逐步趋近其理想位置,实现长基线系统的水声精确的三维立体定位。通过数值仿真分析,结果显示与传统的长基线水声定位方法相比,通过该方法获得的集矿机行驶轨迹能更好地趋近其理想行驶曲线,表明该算法的有效性。     

An ROV Stereovision System for Ship-Hull Inspection

Ship hulls, as well as bridges, port dock pilings, dams, and various underwater structures need to be inspected for periodic maintenance. Additionally, there is a critical need to provide protection against sabotage activities, and to establish effective countermeasures against illegal smuggling activities. Unmanned underwater vehicles are suitable platforms for the development of automated inspection systems, but require integration with appropriate sensor technologies. This paper describes a vision system for automated ship-hull inspection, based on computing the necessary information for positioning, navigation, and mapping of the hull from stereo images. Binocular cues are critical in resolving a number of complex visual artifacts that hamper monocular vision in shallow-water conditions. Furthermore, they simplify the estimation of vehicle pose and motion, which is fundamental for successful automatic operation. The system has been implemented on a commercial remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and tested in pool and dock tests. Results from various trials are presented to demonstrate the system capabilities     

用于近海海洋环境检测的轻型机器人

介绍一种新研制的用于近海海洋环境检测的轻型机器人,该机器人由智能检测控制台、水下检测器和控制电缆三部分构成;水下检测器由6个独立密封舱室和尾翼组成,具有一个主推进器和两个侧向推进器。特点是采用了潜艇式ROV结构,大幅降低了成本,适度增大了负载,可以满足一般工程检测的需要。通过在控制台上发出指令,可控制ROV完成前进、后退,上浮、下沉、左右转弯等动作;可以实现一定流速下的动力悬停,可以使ROV保持一定的倾角,以配合实现检测作业。该水下机器人可以检测腐蚀电位、温度、深度等最多16个参数,设计深度为40m。     

Laser-Triangulation Optical-Correlation Sensor for ROV Slow Motion Estimation

A laser-triangulation optical-correlation sensor for estimating the motion of underwater vehicles at low speed in the proximity of the seabed is described. Experimental results, obtained by processing image sequences acquired by the instrument mounted below the Romeo remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in operating conditions, are presented     

Acoustics-Based Autonomous Docking for A Deep-Sea Resident ROV

This paper presents autonomous docking of an inhouse built resident Remotely Operated Vehicle(ROV), called Rover ROV, through acoustic guided techniques. A novel cage-type docking station has been developed. The docking station can be placed on a deep-sea lander, taking the Rover ROV to the seafloor. Instead of using visionbased pose estimation techniques and expensive navigation sensors, the Rover ROV docking adopts an ultra-short baseline(USBL) and low-cost inertial sensors to build an adaptiv...     

观察型水下机器人ROV系统配置研究

在简述无人遥控潜行器(ROV)系统构成的基础上,就观察型ROV的推进系统、成像系统、应用环境以及风险分析等方面进行深入探讨,提出了在我国海域环境下,有关水下机器人系统配置以及实际应用等方面的建议。     

深海无人遥控潜水器耐压电子舱结构设计与分析

研究深海无人遥控潜水器(ROV)耐压电子舱结构设计中涉及的力学分析技术。利用有限元数值分析方法校核耐压电子舱在深水条件下的强度、刚度与稳定性。根据深海耐压电子舱受力特点,优化其结构形式和尺寸,获得最优结构拓扑构型。对于耐压电子舱上下壳体接合面间接触问题,将非线性接触分析和简化分析法的计算结果进行比较。探讨加工误差与初始缺陷对耐压电子舱力学性能的影响。计算结果表明,耐压电子舱结构优选设计方案满足力学性能和重量要求,并且对加工误差与初始缺陷的影响不十分敏感。     

深海ROV多层脐带缆绞车卷筒力学分析

通过对深海ROV脐带缆微元段受力情况的分析,基于简化理论模型的假设,建立了能够模拟脐带缆绞车卷筒受力情况的理论模型。对比某绞车的实验数据,验证了本力学模型的正确性。通过对实例的计算分析,能够为深海ROV脐带缆绞车的设计工作提供理论支持。     

ROV study of a giant pockmark on the Gabon continental margin

A giant, 800-m wide pockmark, called Regab, was discovered along the Equatorial African margin at 3160-m water depth and was explored by remote operated vehicle (ROV) as part of the Zaiango (1998–2000) and Biozaire (2001–2003) projects carried out conjointly by TOTAL and a number of French research institutes. A microbathymetric map obtained using the ROV sensors shows that the pockmark actually consists of a cluster of smaller pockmarks aligned N70 along a 15-m deep depression. Methane was recorded all over the pockmark, the highest values along the axis of the depression where massive carbonate crusts and dense seep communities were also found. Several faunal species belong to the Vesicomyidae and Mytilidae bivalve families, as well as to Siboglinidae (Vestimentifera) tubeworms. Preliminary analyses confirm their association with symbiotic bacteria, thus documenting their dependence on fluid seeps. The pockmark appears to be related to an infilled channel, visible on the seismic data 300 m below the seafloor, which may act as a reservoir for biogenic fluids supplied to the trap from the surrounding sediments.     

Acoustic telemetry system for underwater control

Underwater acoustic communication in the multipath environment encountered in shallow water is restricted mostly by signal fading. It degrades the signal detection and time synchronization required for reliable acoustic communication. An approach to time synchronization and to the frequency diversity method is presented. A communication algorithm for obtaining a reliable acoustic underwater link, and offering an easy-to-implement decoding scheme is introduced, and system realization is described     

Improving the wind and wave estimation of dual-frequency altimeter JASON1 in Typhoon Shanshan and considering the rain effects

Altimetry data have been widely used in various fiehts of oceanography, including the extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones, typhoons, and hurricanes. The performance of JASON1 in Typhoon Shanshan is assessed by examining the sensor geophysical data record and illustrates how the measured return waveform, significant wave height, and backscatter are all affected by various factors associated with the typhoon, with details by the rain are illustrated. The correction method to maintain accurate wave height and wind speed measurements in Typhoon Shanshan and the results are presented. Furthermore, the additional results of rain rate and typhoon eye diameter can be retrieved. Because of the lack of in-situ measurements of wind, wave, and rain rate at Typhoon Shanshan, results are compared with the forecasted typhoon data and a good agreement is found.     

A Geometrically Exact Formulation for Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of the Umbilical Cable in A Deep-Sea ROV System

This paper proposes a geometrically exact formulation for three-dimensional static and dynamic analyses of the umbilical cable in a deep-sea remotely operated vehicle(ROV) system. The presented formulation takes account of the geometric nonlinearities of large displacement, effects of axial load and bending stiffness for modeling of slack cables. The resulting nonlinear second-order governing equations are discretized spatially by the finite element method and solved temporally by the generalized-a implicit time integration algorithm, which is adapted to the case of varying coefficient matrices. The ability to consider three-dimensional union action of ocean current and ship heave motion upon the umbilical cable is the key feature of this analysis. The presented formulation is firstly validated, and then three numerical examples for the umbilical cable in a deep-sea ROV system are demonstrated and discussed, including the steady configurations only under the action of depth-dependent ocean current, the dynamic responses in the case of the only ship heave motion, and in the case of the combined action of the ship heave motion and ocean current.     

Feedback control system for blow-out preventer positioning

During the drilling of ultra-deep-water subsea petroleum wells, a blow-out preventer (BOP), a piece of safety equipment, must be assembled on the wellhead. The BOP is suspended using the drilling riser during the wellhead approach operation, and the riser's top end is connected to the floating platform rig. This article presents a feedback control system for the automatic approach of the BOP to the wellhead. Compared to state-of-the-art controls, ours does not require ancillary thrusters installed alongside the riser nor inclination sensors atop of the drilling riser. Additionally, our proposed control embeds a closed-loop dynamic positioning system, thus retaining the characteristics of the original control system and adding an extra closed-loop. This eases implementation of the BOP approach control to an existing platform. To calculate the optimal gains for the BOP controller, we assume a linear system for the riser, including only the pendulum-shape. The simulation is carried out using nonlinear models for both riser and floating platform. We assume an International Towing Tank Conference standard semi-submersible platform, coupled with a 3000-m free-hanging vertical riser for the time-domain simulation. The results show the BOP tracking to be a step-shaped input signal under current and wave loads. A discussion of the performance of feedback control under different environmental loads is also included.     

A Geometrically Exact Formulation for Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of the Umbilical Cable in A Deep-Sea ROV System

This paper proposes a geometrically exact formulation for three-dimensional static and dynamic analyses of the umbilical cable in a deep-sea remotely operated vehicle (ROV) system. The presented formulation takes account of the geometric nonlinearities of large displacement, effects of axial load and bending stiffness for modeling of slack cables. The resulting nonlinear second-order governing equations are discretized spatially by the finite element method and solved temporally by the generalized- implicit time integration algorithm, which is adapted to the case of varying coefficient matrices. The ability to consider three-dimensional union action of ocean current and ship heave motion upon the umbilical cable is the key feature of this analysis. The presented formulation is firstly validated, and then three numerical examples for the umbilical cable in a deep-sea ROV system are demonstrated and discussed, including the steady configurations only under the action of depth-dependent ocean current, the dynamic responses in the case of the only ship heave motion, and in the case of the combined action of the ship heave motion and ocean current.     

深海微生物培养模拟平台温度控制技术研究

针对深海微生物培养系统对温度条件的苛刻要求,在分析系统构成及建模的基础上,介绍了一种对系统的两级滞后环节采用了PI控制和双Smith预估反馈的方法,通过内环和外环Smith预估控制,精确的消除了温度控制系统中滞后延迟环节的影响,提高了PI控制强度,减少了超调,提高了系统动态响应和稳态精度。在系统Matlab仿真和实际实验中得到了良好的效果,满足系统的精度要求。