ROV's FOR BEGINNERS
The Basic components of an ROV
ROV' consists of several major common components weather they are small or
large these components are generally the building blocks of the generic ROV . In
the past the basic building blocks of each individual design of ROV has varied
wildly but as technology and off the shelf components are becoming more suitable
to use in the construction of ROV's the general trend in the design of ROV's
that the Typical ROV uses the same components as the next.
The drive for the use of off the shelf components for the building of ROV's
started in the early eighties when several ROV operating companies revolted
against the ROV manufacturers and laid down specific specifications to be
included in these ROV designs. The trend has continued and today several ROV
operators are also the manufacturers of their own ROV equipment. such as Subsea
offshore with the Pioneer and Examiner ROV's or Oceaneering with the Magellan
ROV. The advantages to the operators are obvious they have in-house expertise to
trouble shoot ROV related problems and they can change / modify the ROV's at
will for different types of Underwater tasks. The other main advantage is the
cost the reduced cost of manufacturing your own ROV's gives the edge in
competing for ROV contracts.
Another advantage to the parts and subsystems being off the shelf is that
there is more available expertise available to operate , repair and maintain the
equipment.
I have divided the next few sections of this "Book" into the
larger components of ROV's that are common to them all.