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Issue link: http://sea-technology.epubxp.com/i/510499
www.sea-technology.com May 2015 / st 63 art sensor systems, easily exchange- able battery and data storage modules and a distributed control infrastructure. This allows adaptation of the AUV to very different mission tasks, integration of additional actuators (like bow dive planes or thrusters), and the addition of more battery capacity (into the pay- load area). The modular design of the DeDAvE AUV creates a family of AUVs for dif- ferent diving depths, mission durations and payload requirements. The bow section contains the obstacle avoid- ance sensors, one emergency weight drop system and the (optional) diving plane. Two energy sections with eight battery modules are located near bow and stern. The control and navigation section houses the control comput- er, the inertial navigation system, an acoustic modem with USBL function, the emergency and communication unit (with backup battery) and a sound velocity sensor. The AUV can handle payload interfaces like Ethernet, serial port or CAN bus. UK Collaboration To Develop New Li Batteries Innovate UK has agreed to provide £1.1 million in funding for an effort that will be led by Steatite (Redditch, England), a designer and manufacturer of lithium battery pack solutions, as part of a collaboration that includes a consortium of U.K. companies and academic partners for the research and development of the next generation of lithium batteries for marine autono- mous systems. Collaboration partners include OXIS Energy Ltd. (Abingdon, England), the underwater vehicle de- signer and manufacturer MSubs Ltd. (Plymouth, England) and the U.K. Na- tional Oceanography Centre (NOC). OXIS Energy said that through this project they would expect an improve- ment of at least 70 percent against the cells used in the best batteries on the market today, with an expectation of achieving a fve-fold improvement. The continuing development of a Li-S battery will enable greater endurance at higher speeds for transit to survey sites, which are often in remote loca- tions, resulting in fewer launches and recoveries, and will enable more sens- ing equipment to be installed to collect more valuable data. Lithium-ion batteries have safety is- sues which have been highlighted by aircraft and electric vehicle fres. Li-S is a safe chemistry that does not react aggressively when damaged and pro- vides reliable function. The Li-S chem- istry can withstand short circuiting, crushing and even puncturing of cells. SMD Umbilical Winches Complete FAT for Solwara 1 Nautilus Minerals Inc. (Toronto, Canada) has been advised by Soil Ma- chine Dynamics Ltd. (SMD), based in Wallsend, England, that the umbilical winches for the three seafoor produc- tion tools (SPTs) have completed fac- tory acceptance testing (FAT). The Solwara 1 winches are about 85 tonnes and manage the feed-out and recovery of the SPTs' umbilicals. There is one winch for each SPT. The winches store 2,500 meters of armored umbilical, with the umbilical providing the power and control sys- tems to the SPTs through copper wire and fber-optic cables in the armored casing. The umbilical winches will be installed on the production support vessel. n CLS AMERICA OVER 35 YEARS OF SUPERIOR, RELIABLE SERVICES A GLOBAL PROVIDER OF ENVIRONMENTAL DATA COLLECTION, LOCATION, MONITORING AND OCEAN OBSERVATION SERVICES USING ARGOS AND IRIDIUM WWW.CLSAMERICA.COM CLS America, Inc., 4300 Forbes Boulevard, Lanham, MD 20706, U.S.A. TEL: 301-925-4411