Helping autonomous underwater vehicles map the ocean floor

Helping autonomous underwater vehicles map the ocean floor

Helping marine robots map the ocean floor

At Rolls-Royce Electrical, our technologies are designed and developed to deliver outstanding electric propulsion, power and drive. And while these technologies help us lead the way in decarbonising our skies and driving operations on land, we’ve also built a long heritage of expertise beneath the ocean’s surface by powering Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).

For the last 25 years, our Electrical teams in Norway have been working with maritime technology leader, Kongsberg, delivering efficiency, reliability, flexibility and environmental sustainability for marine applications.

Surveying the seabed

Notably, we’ve worked with Kongsberg to power one of the world’s most sophisticated and successful marine robots – HUGIN. As an industry-leading AUV, HUGIN has surveyed more line kilometres than any other system, scouring the seabed for a range of civil and defence applications from pipeline inspections to environmental surveying and even search operations.

Our electric motors and power electronics technologies have so far powered three variations of the AUV: the original HUGIN, HUGIN Edge and HUGIN Superior. Some of the key factors that enable the machine’s unique success include its stability, manoeuvrability, endurance and highly flexible configuration and integration of payload systems.

Diving further than ever before

HUGIN’s latest AUV iteration can operate at depths of up to 6000 metres. Originally designed with a high-speed motor and gear, Rolls-Royce was selected to provide a direct drive, high-efficiency permanent synchronous machine 25 years ago.

The machine’s enhanced efficiency means that it could dive for twice as long as before, nearly doubling the value creation for each operation. Alongside this, customers now benefit from better navigation and accuracy while covering a wider area.

Powering applications on dry land

In addition to supporting a new and improved HUGIN, our Electrical team sponsored the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in the 2009 Eco Shell Marathon. The HUGIN motor was implemented as a propulsion solution for the university’s race car which set a new world record, driving 1,246 kilometres on the equivalent of one litre of petrol.

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