By: Cailean Macdonald, Stinger Technology AS
Stavanger offshore teknisk skole assigns students to do a task combining all the knowledge and skills gained from the course. Stinger was approached by the project team and sought after advice on an idea for exploration. After the first meeting it was clear that the ideal assignment would be to investigate the effect of replacing or complement thrusters with Archimedes screws for means of propulsion of ROVs on the ocean seafloor.
The Archimedes screw originates Ancient Egypt before the third century. It was engineered to transfer water from a lower level of the river Nile and into irrigation ditches which were higher than the bank of the river. In the 1920’s the first amphibious screw-propelled vehicle was constructed for tundra-like conditions and swamps – extreme areas in which wheels and axels will have little-to-no efficiency. The seabed can have extreme conditions, will the screw-propelled vehicle get re-introduced in the future of subsea operations?
The purpose of exploring an alternative propulsion mechanism is largely due to the enhancement of sight and field of vision with respect to debris blowing around from the force exerted from the thrusters. A secondary purpose is to retard the process of toxic waste and other harmful substances from surfacing from the sedimentary layer.
The project entailed and consisted of designing the prototype and all its functions through software programmes and making it a reality through 3-D printing.
The company prides itself for being available for students with the same curiosity as us at Stinger. Do not hesitate to contact any of us at Stinger for advice or help with anything we specialize in.
For more information please contact: Bjarte Langeland, CEO Stinger, bjarte@stinger.no, +47 915 71 819
