Propulsion

ROV Propulsion is provided by two horizontal thrusters and one vertical thruster that are controlled from the surface using the joystick and depth control knob on the hand controller. Each thruster motor turns a propeller to create the desired thrust.

Each thruster shaft is sealed with a cartridge seal to prevent water intrusion. These cartridge seals are filled with oil and will wear out over time. Worn cartridge seals need to be replaced. Inspection consists checking the amount of oil, and for any signs of contamination or other signs of wear. When the oil level is less than half of the volume of the cartridge seal, the seal should be replaced.

Based on service records at VideoRay, the most frequent cause of ROV failure is the failure of the operator to inspect the thruster cartridge seals and replace them as necessary.

In additional to manual piloting, the VideoRay Cockpit control software provides two pilot assist modes, Auto Depth and Auto Heading. Auto Depth and Auto Heading are described in the Operations Guide.

The horizontal thrusters use counter rotating propellers to avoid torque induced roll while thrusting and for better performance. Additionally, VideoRay Cockpit includes variable control sensitivity and power management to further tune the performance of the thrusters.

Avoid contact with the propellers or getting hair, clothing or other objects in the propellers.

Additional References

See the Hand Controller section of the Equipment Guide for information on how to control the thrusters.

See the Piloting section of the Operations Guide for tips on how to pilot the ROV.

See the Control Sensitivity and Engine Room sections of the VideoRay Cockpit Guide information on tuning the control sensitivity and power management.