ECA, Ifremer Present H-ROV ARIANE at Oceanology

The H-ROV ARIANE is designed to provide an innovative tool ready to be operated in tethered (ROV) or autonomous (AUV) modes offering new possibilities for subsea application up to 2,500m water depth. Thanks to its very compact design, based on internal power supply, its deployment does not require neither heavy umbilical nor DP vessel during operations and insure a real time monitoring.

 

This innovative technology combines the ability to gather high resolution data, performing vertical inspection and intervention tasks while reducing operational expenditures, through the implementation of a ROV and AUV systems in the same architecture.

 

Tethered mode can be used for close inspection and intervention tasks where the operator control directly the vehicle on real time thanks to a patented actuator system. The H-ROV can be operated in autonomous mode either as a safety fallback strategy in case of tether rupture, or as a dedicated mission such as performing a safe structural inspection of subsea processing system thanks to its complete hovering navigation.

 

The H-ROV offers wide possibility for scientific community to explore and insure intervention tasks in different seabed morphology, emphasis on canyons, cliffs and steep inclines providing 2D and 3D mosaic, close-up inspection, light tools manipulating, optical imaging and acoustic mapping. This system is able to gather specific sample thanks to a motorized tools bay, a water and faunal specimen sampler combining with an electrical reversible water ballast system. Additionally, the full electrical manipulators manufactured by ECA Group guarantee a cost effective solution for reducing maintenance costs and enhancing reliability compare to traditional hydraulic system.

 

Furthermore, this new convergence of AUV and ROV technologies, creates a great opportunity in Oil & Gas industry. Thanks to a fully autonomous ROV control program, the system will perform safer and faster operations in case of unexpected environmental conditions which would cause to break sequences or execution steps. Pre-sequenced operations task, hand-free ROV navigation, can be automated offering greater efficiency in construction sequences. Besides, extended development of hybrid technology with possibility of resident solution semi-permanently installed in subsea operations, will soon be considered as a new way to reduce operational expenditures in Life of Field and Inspection Repair Maintenance (IRM) market.