Underwater robotics in the future of arctic oil and gas operations

Master's thesis in Petroleum engineeringArctic regions have lately been in the centre of increasing attention due to high vulnerability to climate change and the retreat in sea ice cover. Commercial actors are exploring the Arctic for new shipping routes and natural resources while scientific activity is being intensified to provide better understanding of the ecosystems. Marine surveys in the Arctic have traditionally been conducted from research vessels, requiring considerable resources and involving high risks where sea ice is present. Thus, development of low-cost methods for collecting data in extreme areas is of interest for both industrial purposes and environmental management. The main objective of this thesis is to investigate the use of underwater vehicles as sensor platforms for oil and gas industry applications with focus on seabed mapping and monitoring. Theoretical background and a review of relevant previous studies are provided prior to presentation of the fieldwork, which took place in January 2017 in Kongsfjorden (Svalbard). The fieldwork was a part of the Underwater Robotics and Polar Night Biology course offered at the University Centre in Svalbard. Applied unmanned platforms included remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV). They were equipped with such sensors as side-scan sonar, multi-beam echo sounder, camera and others. The acquired data was processed and used to provide information about the study area. The carried out analysis of the vehicle performance gives an insight into challenges specific to marine surveys in the Arctic regions, especially during the period of polar night. The discussion is focused on the benefits of underwater robotics and integrated platform surveying in remote and harsh environment. Recommendations for further research and suggestions for application of similar vehicles and sensors are also given in the thesis

Hybrid Modeling of Deformable Linear Objects for Their Cooperative Transportation by Teams of Quadrotors

his paper deals with the control of a team of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), specifically quadrotors, for which their mission is the transportation of a deformable linear object (DLO), i.e., a cable, hose or similar object in quasi-stationary state, while cruising towards destination. Such missions have strong industrial applications in the transportation of hoses or power cables to specific locations, such as the emergency power or water supply in hazard situations such as fires or earthquake damaged structures. This control must be robust to withstand strong and sudden wind disturbances and remain stable after aggressive maneuvers, i.e., sharp changes of direction or acceleration. To cope with these, we have previously developed the online adaptation of the proportional derivative (PD) controllers of the quadrotors thrusters, implemented by a fuzzy logic rule system that experienced adaptation by a stochastic gradient rule. However, sagging conditions appearing when the transporting drones are too close or too far away induce singularities in the DLO catenary models, breaking apart the control system. The paper’s main contribution is the formulation of the hybrid selective model of the DLO sections as either catenaries or parabolas, which allows us to overcome these sagging conditions. We provide the specific decision rule to shift between DLO models. Simulation results demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach under stringent conditions.This work has been partially supported by spanish MICIN project PID2020-116346GB-I00, and project KK-2021/00070 of the Elkartek 2021 funding program of the Basque Government. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 777720

Development of a Chain Climbing Robot and an Automated Ultrasound Inspection System for Mooring Chain Integrity Assessment

Mooring chains used to stabilise offshore floating platforms are often subjected to harsh environmental conditions on a daily basis, i.e. high tidal waves, storms etc. Chain breakage can lead to vessel drift and serious damage such as riser rupture, production shutdown and hydrocarbon release. Therefore, integrity assessment of chain links is vital, and regular inspection is mandatory for offshore structures. Currently, structural health monitoring of chain links is conducted using either remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), which are associated with high costs, or by manual means, which increases the risk to human operators. The development of climbing robots for mooring chain applications is still in its infancy due to the operational complexity and geometrical features of the chain. This thesis presents a Cartesian legged magnetic adhesion tracked-wheel crawler robot developed for mooring chain inspection. The crawler robot presented in this study is suitable for mooring chain climbing in air and the technique can be adapted for underwater use. The proposed robot addresses straight mooring chain climbing and a misaligned scenario that is commonly evident in in-situ conditions. The robot can be used as a platform to convey equipment, i.e. tools for non-destructive testing/evaluation applications. The application of ultrasound for in-service mooring chain inspection is still in the early stages due to lack of accessibility, in-field operational complexity and the geometrical features of mooring systems. With the advancement of robotic/automated systems (i.e. chain-climbing robotic mechanisms), interest in in-situ ultrasound inspection has increased. Currently, ultrasound inspection is confined to the weld area of the chain links. However, according to recent studies on fatigue and residual stresses, ultrasound inspection of the chain crown should be further investigated. A new automated application for ultrasonic phased-array full-matrix capture is discussed in this thesis for investigation of the chain crown. The concept of the chain-climbing robot and the inspection technique are validated with laboratory-based climbing experiments and presented in this thesis

Underwater Robots Part I: Current Systems and Problem Pose

International audienceThis paper constitutes the first part of a general overview of underwater robotics. The second part is titled: Underwater Robots Part II: existing solutions and open issues

Development and Design of ROV Manipulator

The thesis is carried out in collaboration with the student organization UiS Subsea. The primary objective of this thesis is to design and develop a manipulator for the ROV, named YME, using the product development process (PDP). The end goal is to showcase the final product at the MATE ROV Competition 2023. The importance of sustainability has been highlighted in recent years, and this year, MATE ROV Competition focuses on the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable development (2021-2030), and challenge students to contribute to UNs Sustainability goals by seeking sustainable solutions for their projects. The product development process consisted of four phases: planning, concept development, concept generation, and product concept selection. The planning process focused on resource allocation, declaring a mission statement, and establishing a good foundation for the process ahead. Gathering benchmarking information and establishing target specifications was a crucial part of the concept development phase, prior to the concept generation process, as the information and specifications served as a guidance and outline for the concepts to be generated. By a circular economy approach, the reuse of old components within UiS Subsea was evaluated, and potential components were located. The circular economy approach influenced design decisions, and resulted in cost and timeefficiency, and contribution towards sustainability in engineering practices. Concepts were generated for both the manipulator arm and end-effector, and the most promising ones were selected for further development. Eventually one concept for the arm, and one for the end-effector, was selected and further developed through detailed design. Through detailed design, a complete CAD model of the manipulator was made, also material was selected and necessary calculations were performed. The outcome was a three degree of freedom manipulator arm with a rotating end-effector, pitch function, xv and a telescope function. Through prototyping and extensive testing, the design was evaluated and deemed sufficient according to customer needs and target specifications. The outcome of the project was a fully functional ROV Manipulator able to perform all the required MATE tasks, and contributed greatly towards the successful qualification to the 2023 MATE ROV Competition. However, there was room for further improvement and optimization of both the manipulator and the process, and hopefully the manipulator can serve as a foundation for future UiS Subsea manipulator projects.The thesis is carried out in collaboration with the student organization UiS Subsea. The primary objective of this thesis is to design and develop a manipulator for the ROV, named YME, using the product development process (PDP). The end goal is to showcase the final product at the MATE ROV Competition 2023. The importance of sustainability has been highlighted in recent years, and this year, MATE ROV Competition focuses on the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable development (2021-2030), and challenge students to contribute to UNs Sustainability goals by seeking sustainable solutions for their projects. The product development process consisted of four phases: planning, concept development, concept generation, and product concept selection. The planning process focused on resource allocation, declaring a mission statement, and establishing a good foundation for the process ahead. Gathering benchmarking information and establishing target specifications was a crucial part of the concept development phase, prior to the concept generation process, as the information and specifications served as a guidance and outline for the concepts to be generated. By a circular economy approach, the reuse of old components within UiS Subsea was evaluated, and potential components were located. The circular economy approach influenced design decisions, and resulted in cost and timeefficiency, and contribution towards sustainability in engineering practices. Concepts were generated for both the manipulator arm and end-effector, and the most promising ones were selected for further development. Eventually one concept for the arm, and one for the end-effector, was selected and further developed through detailed design. Through detailed design, a complete CAD model of the manipulator was made, also material was selected and necessary calculations were performed. The outcome was a three degree of freedom manipulator arm with a rotating end-effector, pitch function, xv and a telescope function. Through prototyping and extensive testing, the design was evaluated and deemed sufficient according to customer needs and target specifications. The outcome of the project was a fully functional ROV Manipulator able to perform all the required MATE tasks, and contributed greatly towards the successful qualification to the 2023 MATE ROV Competition. However, there was room for further improvement and optimization of both the manipulator and the process, and hopefully the manipulator can serve as a foundation for future UiS Subsea manipulator projects

Development and Design of ROV Manipulator

The thesis is carried out in collaboration with the student organization UiS Subsea. The primary objective of this thesis is to design and develop a manipulator for the ROV, named YME, using the product development process (PDP). The end goal is to showcase the final product at the MATE ROV Competition 2023. The importance of sustainability has been highlighted in recent years, and this year, MATE ROV Competition focuses on the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable development (2021-2030), and challenge students to contribute to UNs Sustainability goals by seeking sustainable solutions for their projects. The product development process consisted of four phases: planning, concept development, concept generation, and product concept selection. The planning process focused on resource allocation, declaring a mission statement, and establishing a good foundation for the process ahead. Gathering benchmarking information and establishing target specifications was a crucial part of the concept development phase, prior to the concept generation process, as the information and specifications served as a guidance and outline for the concepts to be generated. By a circular economy approach, the reuse of old components within UiS Subsea was evaluated, and potential components were located. The circular economy approach influenced design decisions, and resulted in cost and timeefficiency, and contribution towards sustainability in engineering practices. Concepts were generated for both the manipulator arm and end-effector, and the most promising ones were selected for further development. Eventually one concept for the arm, and one for the end-effector, was selected and further developed through detailed design. Through detailed design, a complete CAD model of the manipulator was made, also material was selected and necessary calculations were performed. The outcome was a three degree of freedom manipulator arm with a rotating end-effector, pitch function, and a telescope function. Through prototyping and extensive testing, the design was evaluated and deemed sufficient according to customer needs and target specifications. The outcome of the project was a fully functional ROV Manipulator able to perform all the required MATE tasks, and contributed greatly towards the successful qualification to the 2023 MATE ROV Competition. However, there was room for further improvement and optimization of both the manipulator and the process, and hopefully the manipulator can serve as a foundation for future UiS Subsea manipulator projects

Emerging Technologies and Approaches for In Situ, Autonomous Observing in the Arctic

Understanding and predicting Arctic change and its impacts on global climate requires broad, sustained observations of the atmosphere-ice-ocean system, yet technological and logistical challenges severely restrict the temporal and spatial scope of observing efforts. Satellite remote sensing provides unprecedented, pan-Arctic measurements of the surface, but complementary in situ observations are required to complete the picture. Over the past few decades, a diverse range of autonomous platforms have been developed to make broad, sustained observations of the ice-free ocean, often with near-real-time data delivery. Though these technologies are well suited to the difficult environmental conditions and remote logistics that complicate Arctic observing, they face a suite of additional challenges, such as limited access to satellite services that make geolocation and communication possible. This paper reviews new platform and sensor developments, adaptations of mature technologies, and approaches for their use, placed within the framework of Arctic Ocean observing needs

Offshore project planning : The planning of ROV operations for rigleg inspections from a support vessel

Summary This thesis describes the different stages in planning a fictive offshore project and how that project could be conducted. The aim of the thesis is to gain an understanding of the different stages included in an offshore project. The main objective is to describe how to do a rigleg inspection with a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and the preparations for the operations. Information and material for the project was obtained by interviewing personnel at a Dutch offshore and subsea company and by visiting the multipurpose vessel Stril Server and a jack-up oil rig. Books and documents about ROVs and inspections were also used. The basic understanding of offshore work and drilling for oil was gathered at courses at the Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz. The project consists of taking the vessel Stril Server from Waalhaven in Rotterdam to the oil and gas field Gina Krog in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. On the Gina Krog field stands the jack-up oil rig Hans Deul which has requested inspections of one of its riglegs. The rig is already jacked up so the inspections has to be done by an ROV.Abstrakt Det här examensarbetet beskriver vilka olika delar ett offshore projekt kan bestå av. Arbetet är uppbyggt som ett fiktivt projekt men är ändå realistiskt på så sätt att de fartyg, företag och den oljerigg som använts som exempel i projektet finns på riktigt. Syftet med examensarbetet är att få en uppfattning om hur ett offshore projekt kan byggas upp och vilka utmaningar som finns. Målet med arbetet är att beskriva hur man inspekterar benen på en oljeplattform med en så kallad undervattensrobot (ROV) och att beskriva alla förberedelser som ska göras före man kan börja en inspektion. Information och material för arbetet hittades genom att intervjua personal på ett holländskt offshore företag som gör inspektioner med ROV. Besök gjordes också till fartyget Stril Server och jack-up oljeriggen Paragon. Böcker och dokument om inspektioner och ROV användes också. Grunderna om offshore branschen och oljeborrning lärdes ut vid sjöfartsskolan Willem Barentsz i Holland. Projektet som examensarbetet handlar om går ut på att fara med fartyget Stril Server från Waalhaven i Rotterdam till olje- och gasfältet Gina Krog i den norska sektorn av Nordsjön. På Gina Krog fältet står jack-up oljeriggen Hans Deul som behöver en inspektion av ett av benen. Riggen står på havsbottnen så inspektionen måste göras med en undervattensrobot.Tiivistelmä Opinnäytetyö kuvailee fiktiivisen offshore-projektin eri suunnitteluvaiheita ja mahdollista toteutusta. Opinnäytetyön tavoite on selventää mitä eri asioita pitää ottaa huomioon projektin eri vaiheissa. Työn päämäärä on selvittää miten jack-up öljynporauslautan tukijalan tarkastus tehdään kauko-ohjattavalla sukellusrobotilla (ROV) sekä siihen liittyvät valmistelut. Tiedot projektia varten on kerätty haastattelemalla hollantilaisen ROV-yrityksen henkilökuntaa sekä vierailuilta monitoimialus Stril Serverillä ja jack-up öljynporauslautalla. Lisäksi tietoa on haettu ROV operointia käsittelevistä kirjoista ja ohjeistuksista. Projekti sisältää Stril Serverin siirtäminen Waalhavenista Rotterdamissa, Norjan talousalueella olevalla Gina Krogin öljy- ja kaasukentälle. Gina Krog öljykentällä toimii öljynporauslautta Hans Deul joka on tilannut tarkastuksen yhteen tukijaloistaan. Tarkastus on tehtävä ROV:llä koska suurin osa tukijalasta on veden alla

Satellites to the Seafloor: Autonomous Science to Forge a Breakthrough in Quantifying the Global Ocean Carbon Budget

Understanding the global carbon budget and its changes is crucial to current and future life on Earth. The marine component represents the largest reservoir of the global carbon cycle. In addition to physical processes that govern carbon fluxes at the air-sea interface and regulate the atmospheric carbon budget, complex internal sources and sinks, including inorganic, geologic, microbiological and biological processes also impact carbon distributions and storage. Therefore, it is essential to observe and understand the whole system. This is a daunting task, as many of the processes are distributed throughout the ocean, laterally and vertically over scales ranging from centimeters to thousands of kilometers. Ship and satellite observations both offer a partial view but, for ships, are either too short term and localized and satellites, despite their large spatial coverage, lack the spatial resolution. Ocean robots, such as deep diving autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and gliders, provide in-situ observations of the seafloor and water column while the surface can be observed in-situ by autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs). Presently, these assets are used disparately with each operating independently and requiring direct human intervention for data interpretation and mission retasking. This paradigm is insufficient for the task of obtaining the millions of in-situ and remote measurements necessary for quantifying the ocean’s contribution to the global carbon cycle. This study brings together scientists, who understand the imperative and scope of quantifying the global carbon budget, with technologists, who may be able to glimpse a possible way of solving it. A coordinated network of ocean robots and satellites that autonomously interpret data and communicate sampling strategies could significantly advance our ability to monitor the marine carbon (and other biogeochemical) cycles. The principal goal of this study is to determine whether emerging technologies could enable crucial oceanographic and space science investigations to be coordinated to address this scientific challenge and may be the way to address others. Specifically, we will: establish a lingua franca between the participants’ different research communities that will enable increased communication; identify the observational capabilities required to quantify the carbon cycle; assess the present capabilities of the ocean robotics, autonomous science, and satellite communities to provide these capabilities; investigate if coordinated ocean robots and satellites using autonomous science can obtain those observations; and develop a collaborative research agenda aimed at solving these problems