ATI's AUV and ROV Technology Course

Summary: This three-day course offers a descriptive review of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) developed by industry and government. It traces the factors that influenced the development of underwater vehicles, and includes a description of the varied instrumentation and systems that developed concomitantly for their support and deployment. The design of various vehicle types is discussed as a function of their application to the industrial, military and scientific tasks that current ROVs and AUVs perform. Critical vehicle components and equipments are identified and described in relationship to total system as an independently operating entity. Current limitations of AUVs are discussed and their near-future development is projected. Anyone involved in underwater vehicle design, operations or construction, engineering and scientific research will find this course an invaluable introduction to one of today's more dynamic area of underwater development. Underwater equipment manufacturers will be provided with an illuminating insight into an expanding, multifaceted market. Instructor: John Pritzlaff received his BS and MS degrees in ME from Northwestern University. He is an independent consultant for industry and government. Previously, he was with Westinghouse for 29 years and at General Electric for 10 years. He has written some 80 technical papers and articles on manned and unmanned vehicle design, operations and safety. He is a fellow of the Marine Technology Society. He initiated and edited the three MTS manned undersea vehicle safety books, a chapter of the MTS "Operational Guidelines for Remotely Operated Vehicles" and co-authored a chapter of "Submersible Vehicle Systems Design". While at Westinghouse he supported a variety of undersea projects in the positions of Advisory Engineer and Technical Engineer. Contact this instructor (please mention course name in the subject line) Course Outline: Historical Development.From swimmers and divers through manned and lockout submersibles. The forces for ROV development; military research, offshore oil, industrial, and scientific utilization. Vehicle Types.Towed vehicles; tethered vehicles, heavy and neutrally buoyed swimmers, bottom-reliant vehicles; structurally-reliant vehicles; untethered preprogrammed and smart vehicles. Vehicle configurations and sizes. Environmental Considerations.Sea state, depth, currents, visibility, acoustics, ice, bottom characteristics, biological aspects, pollutants, explosives, debris, geographic location. Tools and Sensors.TV cameras, still cameras, lights, positioning systems and locations; manipulators. Sonars; forward looking, side looking, subbottom profilers, pipe/cable trackers; non-destructive testing; cleaning systems. Propulsion and Control. Thrusters; number, location and control. Course, depth and altitude sensors, automatic controls. Power and Buoyancy — Platform power, "Carry On" power, battery power, new power sources. Buoyancy systems - static, dynamic. The Operational System — Launch/recovery devices, umbilical cables and tethers, tether management systems, displays and controls, support platforms, ROV and platform crews. Tracking, Positioning and Work Tasks — Long, short and ultra short baseline acoustic systems; visual tracking/positioning systems, emergency location systems; land based work techniques, user friendly work systems; unique undersea requirements for search rescue and salvage. Applications - Industrial and Scientific — Offshore oil, cable and pipeline burial and repair, treasure hunting. Civil works - structure inspection, maintenance, diver assistance. Oceanographic research and mapping. Applications - Military — Search, survey, recovery, mine warfare, pathfinder, offboard sensors, security. System Design and Analysis — The design process and trade-off issues. Mission planning and the generation of specifications. Design considerations for a real-world vehicle. A step-by-step walk through a detailed design example to illustrate the issues and decision process. Selecting power sources, propulsion, sensor, control systems. Making the pieces work as an integrated system. Tuition: For dedicated on-site pricing and availability request information HERE.