Investigation on an Electric Tether Management System and its Control for Deep-sea Remotely Operated Vehicles

Abstract

In deep-sea operations, tethers play a vital role in providing energy supply and information transmission for remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). To further refine the collect and release planning of the tether and to regulate ROVs' underwater range of motion, this study proposes a novel tether management system powered by permanent magnet synchronous motors. The surface-underwater control systems and their logical control methods have been thoughtfully designed to meet the tether's working requirements. The electric tether management system comprises components such as a drum, sheave, permanent magnet motor, and respective drivers, presenting a more compact structure than traditional hydraulic-powered tether management systems. Through a sprocket, the system ensures synchronicity between the drum and the spooler for a corrugated motion, facilitating correct tether winding around the drum. By analytically considering the torque and speed statuses of the drum and sheave across typical tether pick-up and pay-out modes, this study validates the effectiveness of the electric tether management system's control and logic. The results indicate that the electric tether management system can efficiently collaborate with the ROV to perform underwater operations, thereby contributing to stable and efficient ROV system operation.

Keywords

• remotely operated vehicle(rov)
• tether management system(tms)
• control system
• permanent magnet motor