Addressing the Challenges for ROV Operation in High Flow Environments: Case of the Bay of Fundy

高能量的芬迪湾海洋环境以潮汐的形式提供了大量相对未开发的可再生能源。在这种情况下，收集这种能源的能源转换技术越来越多地上线，并且越来越需要可用于在持续时间内检查和与淹没基础设施互动的可靠工具。在过去的几年里，新斯科舍省的潮汐社区已经增强了其海洋业务能力，但仍然存在一些未知数和风险，与这种业务相关的成本很高。因此，降低潮汐能均衡化成本的下一步是提高关键安装工具的性能，如遥控潜水器（ROV）。传统的ROV通常在高达1.5 m/s的地下水流中运行。因此，它们是高流量潮汐环境（如芬迪湾，其中次表层流速达到5 m/s）中海上作业设计（和成本）的关键操作限制。自治领潜水有限公司现在寻求新斯科舍社区学院（NSCC）的支持，以调查在芬迪湾部署一个潜水器，CougarXT 1420的技术可行性。然后，该公司将拥有可靠的数据，以优化一系列不同操作场景的性能。这将使该公司有能力成为在高流量海洋环境中使用ROV的全球领导者。这一成果将有助于使潮汐能源这一清洁、可预测和可再生能源的供应与加拿大其他能源供应选择保持一致。

The high-energy Bay of Fundy marine environment offers a vast relatively untapped source of renewableenergy in the form of tides. In this context, energy conversion technologies that harvest this energy source areincreasingly coming on-line, and dependable tools that can be used to inspect and interact with submergedinfrastructure over sustained periods are increasingly needed. In the past few years, the Nova Scotia tidalcommunity has augmented its marine operational capacity, but some unknowns and risks still exist, and thecost associated with such operations are high. A next step in reducing tidal energy levilized costs is thereforeimproving the performance of key installation tools, such as Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs).Conventional ROVs generally operate in subsurface currents of up to 1.5 m/s. They are thus a key operatinglimitation in the design (and cost) of the marine operations in high flow tidal environment such as the Bay ofFundy, where subsurface current speeds reach 5 m/s. Dominion Diving Ltd. now seeks the support of NovaScotia Community College (NSCC) to investigate the technical feasibility of deploying an ROV, the CougarXT 1420 in the Bay of Fundy. The company will then have reliable data to optimize ROV performance for aset of different operational scenarios. This will give the company the ability to become a global leader in theuse of ROVs in high flow marine environments. The outcome will contribute to bringing the supply of tidalenergy, a clean, predictable and renewable energy source, in line with other energy supply options in Canada.