The market for Electric Work Class ROV functionality has grown with renewables and energy transition clients looking to improve operational efficiency, operate from uncrewed and resident deployment systems, and reduce the potential for leaks from pressurized ROV hydraulics.
An analysis of data from a fleet of over 250 work class ROVs, measured between 2015 and 2023, indicates that hydraulic systems were the most common source of ROV failures. Electrifying the ROV will mitigate this failure sources and decrease failures in tethers and umbilicals by reducing the power needed for transmission. Certain key hydraulic components remain in operation, such as the manipulator, because an electric version suitable for work class requirements has yet to demonstrate the strength and reliability comparable to those found in hydraulic ROV systems. Electrifying hydraulic tools is essential for fulfilling the potential of an electric work class ROV. Drilling operations will still require ROVs to provide high pressure, high flowrates for BOP ram overrides, and one approach is to put the pumping on an ROV skid.
The approach to electrifying a work class ROV has leveraged pressure tolerant electronics to reduce 1 atmosphere cans, increase the thrust available on the ROV with reduced power delivered at surface, and reduce the overall weight of the system. Electric ROVs will, therefore, have higher performance specifications than their equivalent hydraulic vehicles.
Electrification also provides the opportunity for plug and play connections that can be quickly reconfigured for sensor or tooling installation and for isolation or replacement of failed components. Adopting an approach used for Electric Cars, manufacturers should include enhanced situational awareness sensors as standard on electric work class ROVs.
Improved reliability will enable 30+ day operational residency, removing the need for daily recovery of ROVs to the surface for maintenance. This will improve the execution of offshore programs. One approach has been to look at the entire ROV lifecycle and to perform extensive testing of ROV operations and tooling. To demonstrate this reliability, data from systems operating in the field was used to generate a stress and endurance test.
