Capabilities
SeaKnowledge has a broad range of capabilities that can be applied to all engineering challenges; in the ocean and on land. Good communication, careful planning, attention to detail, and the ability to easily integrate with or lead a team ensure timely and reliable deliverables.
Underwater Vehicle Design
From initial concept to sea-trials, SeaKnowledge can lead the mechanical development of AUVs, ROVs, landers, surface vessels, and towed systems. Experience with:
Weight, Buoyancy, & Trim
Propulsion
Frame, Bracketry, and Component Placement
Pressure Housings & Electronics Packaging
Hydraulic Systems & Actuators
Oil Compensation Systems
(Photo Courtesy Art Howard/GFOE)
Mechanisms and Actuator Design
Underwater mechanisms need to account for extreme pressure and temperature fluctuations to work reliably in all conditions. Experience with:
Hydraulic and Electro-Mechanical Actuators.
Multi-Chamber Suction Samplers
Actuated Lights and Cameras
Sampling Drawers & Boxes
Temperature Probes
Manipulator Arm Integration
(Photo - Suction Sampler Design for GFOE)
Research Vessel Integration
Integrating a vehicle or survey system onto an existing research vessel is a challenge that requires expertise in naval architecture and an understanding of the classing rules that each ship must follow. Launch and recovery systems need to be carefully designed and fabricated to protect the vehicles and the safety of the crew. Experience with:
ABS, UNOLS, and USCG CFR Rules
Traction and Direct Drive Winch Installation/Foundations
Overboarding Sheaves w/ Payout and Load-Sensing Capabilities
Crane Sway Limiters & Crane Integration
Onboard Control Room Setup.
Vehicle Tracking (USBL or LBL) System Installation and Calibration
(Photo: Planning ROV Yogi Launch For GFOE)
Strength Calculations & FEA
A solid background in material strength and mechanics can be applied to vehicle design and vessel integration. Understanding the loads applied and limitations of the materials are key to a safe and reliable design. Experience with:
ABS, UNOLS, and USCG CFR Rules
Initial Hand Calculations to Guide and Support FEA
FEA Through Solidworks Simulation
Expedition and Survey Planning
Balancing the equipment's capabilities with the environmental conditions to efficiently and safely meet all scientific objectives is an often overlooked challenge. SeaKnowledge has experience with:
Leading a team of up to a dozen engineers through the mobilization, expedition, and demobilization stages.
Dive site and survey area selection based off of long-term and short-term weather and current patterns.
Dive planning and visualization using Hypack and Fledermaus.
Seafloor surveys with photo-mosaics, multibeam, and photogrammetry.
Vehicle navigation in the water column and on the seafloor.
Hydrodynamics
Rounding out the mechanical design capabilities is a background in hydrodynamics. Experience with:
Calculating Lift and Drag of Vehicles and Towed Bodies
Measuring Lift and Drag in a Towing Tank and Propeller Tunnel
Calculating Time of Descent for Free Falling bodies
Designing VIV Reduction for Poles and Cables
(Photo- CAD of MIT Sea Grant's OIV AUV)
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