Waveblade Tested at The Underwater Center

A new for the oil and gas industry has undergone a commercial trial at the subsea training and trials facility, The Underwater Center. Commercial divers and ROV pilot technicians recently trialed the Waveblade while working in Loch Linnhe, simulating a realistic operational environment.

Waveblade is a lightweight, handheld submersible power tool designed to remove marine growth through vibration without harming underlying surface. The tool has been developed to be used as a hand tool for divers and also as a separate tool to be fitted to the arm of an ROV.

Waveblade’s patented technology delivers high frequency resonance through its oscillating head, sending multidirectional vibration through the blade into the unwanted marine growth. The wave power has been shown to remove organic growth more thoroughly in a fraction of the time without damaging surfaces compared to current methods such as scrapers and high pressure water jetting.

Advice, support and expertise regarding the operational aspect of the trial was provided by the marine operations, ROV instructors, dive team and support staff from The Underwater Center, who participated in the trail.

James Hall, Chairman of Waveblade, said, “The Waveblade is very different from anything else on the market. During the trial, it worked brilliantly for the divers and ROV pilots, and the results were very much what we had hoped for.”

“The Underwater Center was the ideal location for such a trial; we were able to sit in the control center and interact with the team which was trying it out,” Hall continued. “There were a number of challenges during the trial; however, the team at the Center was able to help us overcome these in a very short time and the divers got to grips with the Waveblade pretty much straight away. To have this type of service was invaluable.

“We are currently talking to a number of oil and gas companies about the product, and we are looking to develop the small tool for larger, heavier commercial use. The feedback we have had so far has been very positive,” Hall added.

Steve Ham, General Manager of The Underwater Center, said that trialing new subsea equipment is an important part of what the Center does. “It’s always very gratifying to be able to assist companies such as Waveblade, which are at the forefront of technology development for the oil and gas sector. Key industry figures have spoken recently about the importance of developing new technologies more quickly, but in a cost effective way; the facilities we have on offer at the Center help achieve this by providing an alternative to having to test offshore.”

The Underwater Center is a purpose-built subsea training and trials facility and is based on the shore of a seawater lake, Loch Linnhe, well sheltered by the surrounding mountains. The Center’s unique location allows it to provide year-round training and testing in an open-water environment, while still being centrally located in the largest town in the Scottish Highlands.

With access to depths of over 100 meters, The Underwater Center allows for realistic and industry-specific saturation and air diver and ROV pilot technician training, as well as providing a convenient location for subsea equipment trials.

The Underwater Center, which also has a school in Tasmania, comprises a pier complex including four dive stations, classrooms, workshops and decompression chambers. With accommodation and additional classrooms based at the landward end of the pier, it is set up to provide its students with the skills and experience to succeed in their new careers, and continue providing the subsea industry with the workforce that it needs.