Motors help put underwater ROVs on the spot
A
PennEngineering Motion Technologies - Europe product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Sep 2, 2004
VideoRay is a leading US-based manufacturer of underwater remotely operated vehicles, and each of its units includes three Pittman brand series 9000 brushed DC motors.
Underwater robots for video transmission are being used on an increasing scale for such diverse applications as fish farm inspection, security and forensics and many other exploratory uses such as wreck surveys and scientific studies.
VideoRay, the US-based manufacturer of underwater ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) is taking full advantage of camera system miniaturisation and produce the world's smallest and most cost effective range available today.
Weighing less than 4kg, VideoRay's ROVs provide a highly manoeuvrable and compact "set of eyes" allowing exploration possibilities previously considered as being too expensive.
These ROVs are ideal in hazardous or confined areas where it would be dangerous for human divers to venture.
Every VideoRay ROV includes three Pittman brand, series 9000 brushed DC motors.
Two are located in tubes on either side of the ROV for horizontal thrust and another is located in the centre of the main hull for vertical thrust.
All motors are fully reversible and are customised to directly drive the propellers, reducing system complexity and contributing to enhanced reliability, improved lifetime, and relatively lower costs.
"From the start our motor specifications were exacting", recalls Marcus Kolb, Director of Research and Development at VideoRay.
"We arrived at a total motor solution as the result of give-and-take dialogue, engineering expertise, data-gathering and willingness for this motor manufacturer to customise and accommodate no matter how big or small the demand".
The most challenging specification involved the motor's finely polished stainless steel shaft, where the ROV's propeller is attached.
The shafts must be extremely smooth and hard, according to Kolb, and VideoRay insists on machining its own using a proprietary process.
The shafts are then supplied to PennEngineering Motion Technologies to integrate motor (and seals) into the shaft housing.
According to Kolb, the Pittman brand Series 9000 motors proved a perfect fit for the design envelope.
They are 56mm long, weigh just 250g and can achieve peak torque of 225mNm.
The motors feature seven-slot skewed armatures to minimise magnetic cogging (or reluctance torque) even at low speeds which promotes the smooth operation that is particularly required in the ROV application.
Brush life is enhanced with an innovative cartridge brush assembly, which is standard with Pittman brand products and is designed to curb brush wear and reduce both electrical and audible noise.
"These motors were chosen based on efficiency, cost, and added value", Kolb says, "and they have risen to the occasion".
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