Subsea Vehicle Supervised Control With Renewable Power Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing offshore asset management technologies face challenges in providing sufficient power density for subsea vehicles to launch, transit, perform tasks, and return to shore, and in delivering vehicles offshore efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind generators, combined with charging systems, communication links, and data transceivers, enables supervised control of subsea vehicles through autonomous surface vehicles, aerial drones, and tether management systems, allowing for efficient deployment and recharging of vehicles across multiple field locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If subsea vehicles are deployed from shore using conventional methods, then vehicles can perform survey and inspection tasks, but insufficient power density prevents reliable launch, transit, and return operations
Solution Approach 1:
The power delivery system is segmented into multiple components: renewable energy sources (solar/wind generators) positioned atshore, battery charging systems, and power transmission infrastructure. This segmentation allows power to be delivered in manageable units through various pathways (umbilical, wireless, acoustic) to the subsea vehicle, resolving the power density issue while maintaining operational reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Renewable energy sources and charging systems are deployed and charged in advance before vehicle operations begin. The system performs preliminary power storage and transmission infrastructure setup, ensuring sufficient power density is available when the vehicle launches and returns, thereby improving deployment reliability without requiring excessive power during single tasks.
2Extent of automation
If vehicles are deployed using autonomous surface vehicles and tethers, then supervisory control is enabled, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous surface vehicle and tether management system perform multiple functions: they provide supervisory control, transmit power, communicate data, and support vehicle deployment and recovery operations. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional platform, the system achieves extensive automation while managing complexity through functional integration rather than separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
An autonomous surface vehicle acts as an intermediary between the shore-based control system and the subsea vehicle. This intermediary handles the complexity of communication, power transmission, and coordination, allowing supervisory control to be implemented without directly complicating the core vehicle operations or requiring complex integrated control architectures.
3Loss of energy
If renewable energy sources are used for power delivery, then sustainable power supply is achieved, but deployment and recharging efficiency must be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
Renewable energy sources (solar and wind generators) provide continuous power supply by operating continuously as long as environmental conditions permit. The charging system maintains continuous readiness by constantly recharging batteries, ensuring the subsea vehicle can be deployed and recharged efficiently without interruption, thereby achieving both energy sustainability and operational productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts power delivery based on real-time conditions: renewable energy availability, vehicle power consumption rates, and environmental factors. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the balance between sustainable energy use and deployment efficiency, allowing the system to maximize both energy sustainability and productivity by adjusting operational parameters on-the-fly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables reliable and efficient deployment, task performance, and recharging of subsea vehicles, enhancing offshore asset management capabilities by providing continuous power and communication support.
Implementation Method 1
A system utilizing renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind generators, combined with charging systems
Implementation Method 2
A system utilizing renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind generators, combined with charging systems
Implementation Method 3
communication link; and data transceiver operatively in communication with subsea vehicle, vehicle delivery system, and communication link
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Multiple systems and methods for providing supervised control of subsea vehicles for offshore asset management as well as supplemental autonomous control behaviors are described herein. These systems and methods provide offshore support and alternative supervised control of one or more vehicle generally irrespective of where the vehicle resides in an oil and gas offshore field.