Sea Technology

JUN 2015

The industry's recognized authority for design, engineering and application of equipment and services in the global ocean community

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www.sea-technology.com June 2015 / st 15 H istorically, deep-diving subs have been commissioned by governments and designed, maintained and often assembled by universities or other nonproft institutions. As primary exploration and research subs, most were designed with a singular focus on capability—depth and accesso- ries—rather than a focus on satisfying the broader needs of different markets and client segments. The result was a number of capable, but expensive, vehicles that typically required dedicated and expensive support vessels. To over- come these limitations, OceanGate Inc., a Seattle, Washing- ton-based company, set out to develop the Cyclops series of submersibles, designed from the ground up to be cost effective and versatile. The frst vehicle in the series is Cyclops 1, a fve-person, 500-meter-depth-rated submersible that will be operated as a sys- tems test platform and market development vehicle for the 3,000-meter-depth-rated Cyclops 2 submersible, due out in 2016. Cyclops 1 features an enhanced automated control system for vehicle control and guid- ance, as well as a fully integrated Teledyne BlueView (Bothell, Washington) sonar sys- tem, Rowe Technologies (Poway, California) DVL and Battelle (Columbus, Ohio) 360° HD external camera system. Using a combination of commercial off- the-shelf (COTS) technology and innovative system architecture designed by the Applied Physics Lab at the University of Washing- ton and OceanGate's internal engineering group, the automated control system aims to simplify how manned submersibles oper- ate by reducing time spent on vehicle con- trol/monitoring and increasing time on mis- sion objectives. Other re-engineered technology features include new hydrodynamic components designed to maximize the submersible's in-water speed and maneuverability, and remodeled interior seating and instrument layout to enhance the client experience and increase pro- ductivity. The complete inventory of propulsion, actuators, and in- ternal and external sensors on Cyclops is beyond the scope of this article: it is wide and varied, including everything from thruster speed control and high-resolution acoustic and optical imagery, vehicle speed and heading, ambient ocean temperature and salinity, to internal air quality and power management. The monitor and control system was designed to enable a pilot to concentrate on the passenger experience with- out the constant distraction of fnding gauges and turning valves. Automation will be paramount. Revolutionary Deep-Sea Vessel: Cyclops Manned Submersible New Series of Versatile Subs Streamlines Costs, Operations By Peter Brodsky • Dr. Erika H. Montague • Stockton Rush Cyclops's control sphere for integration of thrusters, navigation and additional oceanographic sensors.

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