ROV Tether and Power System Design for Voltage Regulation and Efficiency

Added:

Power Basics
Voltage Boost
Surface Supply
Undersea Convert
Tether Choice

Power Basics

0:00
Playing Section
  • 1

    Compares 12V car battery and 14-gauge wire for ROV tether.

  • 2

    Highlights voltage drop issues at 150 feet with high current.

Ohm's Law and Electrical Power: Understanding the fundamental relationship between voltage, current, resistance, and power dissipation (P = I^2 * R).
Conductor Resistance and Voltage Drop: Knowledge of how wire gauge (AWG), material properties, and cable length contribute to electrical resistance in transmission lines.
Basic DC-DC Power Conversion: Familiarity with how step-up (boost) and step-down (buck) converters function to regulate voltage levels.
ROV Architecture: A baseline understanding of Remotely Operated Vehicle systems, specifically the functional role of the tether in supplying power and telemetry.
High-Voltage DC (HVDC) Transmission: Exploring higher voltage systems (e.g., 150V to 1000V+) commonly used in commercial, deep-sea ROVs to further minimize copper weight and power loss.
Power Line Communication (PLC): Learning how to multiplex high-speed telemetry and video signals over the same physical power conductors in the tether.
Thermal Analysis of Spooled Tethers: Studying heat dissipation and current-carrying capacity (ampacity) limits when tethers are wound on winches or reels under load.
Active Closed-Loop Voltage Regulation: Designing surface power supplies that dynamically adjust output voltage based on real-time load telemetry feedback from the ROV.
5.8K views60likes8:45@NickSopwithOriginal Release: 2014-03-30

For ROV power systems, increasing voltage reduces current draw, which minimizes voltage drop and allows the use of thinner, more flexible wire; a 48V system with appropriate DC-DC conversion can deliver power efficiently over long tethers compared to lower-voltage alternatives.