Combined seabed and pelagic rov cable detection apparatus and a method for detecting the burial depth of a buried subsea cable in shallow water

Abstract

The present invention is a combined seabed and water column ROV cable detector device, comprising a non-magnetic main frame (1) having an ROV thruster (10), and four non-magnetic wheel arms (2) protruding diagonally downward from the main frame (1). Each wheel arm (2) has a fluxgate magnetometer sensor (3) disposed near its outer end, the fluxgate magnetometer sensor being configured to measure a magnetic field (H) surrounding a wholly or partially buried cable (K) in a seabed. Each wheel arm (2) has a non-magnetic wheel (4) fixed at its outer end, configured to passively travel on the seabed, wherein the ROV thrusters (10) are configured to drive the cable detector device to roll on the seabed along a desired path. The ROV thrusters (10) are further configured to raise and lower the cable detector device between the sea surface and the seabed. The invention is a combined seabed and pelagic ROV cable detector apparatus comprising a non-magnetic main frame (1) with ROV thrusters (10) having four diagonally projecting non-magnetic wheel arms (2) in a downward direction from the main frame (1), where each wheel arm (2) is provided with a fluxgate magnetometer sensor (3) arranged near the outer end of the wheel arm (2), arranged to measure a magnetic field (H) around a fully or partially buried cable (K) in a seabed. Each wheel arm (2) holds at its outer end a non-magnetic wheel (4) arranged to run passively on the seabed, where the ROV thrusters (10) are arranged to drive the cable detector apparatus along a desired path rolling on the seabed. The ROV thrusters (10) are further arranged to lift the cable detector apparatus to and from the sea surface and the seabed.

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