Seaeye Cougar-XTi
 

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The Seaeye Cougar-XTi is a 3000m depth rated version of the compact, highly flexible and extremely powerful Cougar-XT ROV system, which is aimed to address the industry's need for a 3,000m observation ROV, capable of providing a "self help" capability and light work capability.

With all the benefits of the proven Cougar-XT and the full range of optional quick-change tool skids, the Cougar-XTi also features a new distributed control system and high frequency power supply system developed for deepwater operations. These new systems have been developed and used in Saab Underwater Systems' military ROV systems.

Control System
Like the Seaeye Jaguar, the Cougar-XTi operates on Saab Seaeye's latest distributed intelligence control system, ICON. This allows each node (thrusters, lights, camera actuators, etc) to be individually controlled, tested, isolated or updated.

Power distribution
The Cougar-XTi Power Supply System comprises a single floor standing 19" rack cabinet containing:

• High Voltage, High Frequency 20kVA Power Supply (3kV, 800Hz) Input Power Filter
• Output filter
• Input/Output HV/LV Cabin Junction Box

Cougar-XTi Power Supply System

Man Machine Interface (MMI)
The Cougar-XTi MMI comprises 6 main elements:

• Surface Power Supply Remote Control Interface
• TMS Control Interface (with TMS option)
• TMS Foot Switches (with TMS option)
• Flight Screens - Data displayed on VGA monitors
• Touchscreens
• Hand Controller - The physical control interface for controlling the ROV movement through the water and its primary systems

A single MMI is provided as standard, dual configurations can be supplied as required offering great benefit to training and offering yet further redundancy. In this configuration control is passed from one MMI to another via the touch screens.

Example console layout - The layout can be adapted to suit customer requirements

Cougar-XTi Hand Controller Unit

Fibre Optic System
The Cougar-XTi fibre optic system is designed to offer the maximum data payload with the maximum level of redundancy.

The surface muliplexers are mounted in a single 19" rackmount enclosure, an example of the Prizm solution is shown below:

Auxiliary Interfaces
An auxiliary interface pod is provided as standard, identical to that in the Seaeye Jaguar.

The interface pod provides the following as standard, other options or multiple pods are available on request:

Power

The above outputs can be combined for greater current output.

Video, Data & Control

Chassis
The extremely rugged polypropylene, stainless steel and composite chassis has been designed to maximise free water flow through the ROV. A central and adjustable lift point ensures a level lift. Tool skids can be rapidly installed as required

Cougar-XTi fitted with a dual 5 function manipulators skid

Buoyancy
Buoyancy is derived from syntactic foam blocks finished with a tough polyurethane skin. The buoyancy modules contain apertures for the vertical thrusters, the lift point, a strobe and sonars.

Electronics Pods
The vehicle has a watertight electronics pod manufactured from a combination of machined 6082 marine grade aluminium and carbon fibre. All Cougar-XTi epod components are common with the Seaeye Jaguar.

Navigation
The Cougar-XTi is fitted with a combined compass and inertial measurement unit which will provide 6 degree of freedom motion measurement for enhanced azimuth stability, auto-pilots and dynamic positioning (DP). This core equipment can be augmented by additional high performance sensors which will feed directly into the control algorithms running in the surface control unit.

Propulsion
Four Horizontal SM7 and Two Vertical SM7 500V brushless DC thrusters provide full three dimensional control, including roll. All Seaeye ROVs feature brushless DC thrusters which, in addition to having the greatest power density, have integrated drive electronics with velocity feedback for precise and rapid thrust control. Each thruster has an on board control system to give precise and predictable thrust with the maximum acceleration and braking and minimal reversal time possible without placing a damaging load on the mechanics.

The thrust vectoring algorithm can accommodate multiple damaged thrusters whilst retaining normal flying characteristics.

SM7 thruster	Aft of the vehicle showing two of the SM7 thrusters

Auto Pilots
The Cougar XT's standard auto pilots include:

• Heading
• Depth
• Roll
• Roll Stabilisation
• Auto altitude (requires altimeter)

Pan & Tilt
A high torque, oil filled, Pan & Tilt platform is supplied. The unit is manufactured from anodised aluminium with the pan and tilt positional information being displayed graphically on the video overlay and/or pilots dashboard.

Lighting
Two individually controlled lighting channels are provided as standard, each channel comprising two LED lamp units. Each channel has its own brilliance control on the pilot's Hand Control Unit. Each LED lamp produces the equivalent light output of a 150W tungsten halogen bulb.

Additional lighting can be readily added to the system network.

Cougar-XTi fitted with LED lamps

Connectors
Saab Seaeye's range of DR metal shelled connectors are used throughout, these are pin and shell compatible with Saab Seaeye's standard connectors but with the added benefit of having an open face pressure rating of 69MPa (10,000 psi).

Cougar-XTi electronics pod with Seaeye Metal Shell connectors

Seacon connectors are used for all underwater fibre connections.

TOOLING & QUICK-CHANGE TOOL SKIDS

The usual range of ROV tools and sensors can be fitted to the core vehicle, including additional cameras, lights, sonar, tracking systems and various probes and sensors.

Like the Seaeye Cougar-XT system, the Cougar-XTi is designed to make the integration of task-specific tools and sensors as easy as possible, and can support a range of tool skids with a wide range of tooling capabilities.

The following hydraulic HPUs can be accommodated:

• 400W HPU providing 0.5 l/min, 140bar (Manips)
• SM8 Thruster Driven HPU providing 10 l/min, 180bar (identical to Seaeye Jaguar) for higher power tooling (e.g. cutters, torque tool etc)

Task specific tool skids, constructed of the same polypropylene material as the ROV frame, can be readily added and changed for rapid turn-around between dives needing different tooling packages. These skids can be custom designed to suit each customer's operational requirements and can include:

• Manipulator packages
• Anvil or disc cutters
• Water jetting equipment
• Torque tools
• Survey packages including camera
• Drill support and IRM tooling

COUGAR-XTi DEPLOYMENT

Type 8 TMS
The Cougar-XTi is deployed with a TMS Type 8. This garage-style system uses a bail arm arrangement to spool tether on and off a fixed drum without the additional cost of incorporating a slip ring. Up to 200 metres of tether can be accommodated, and is remotely controlled by the ROV pilot. The Type 8's improved mechanism and stainless steel frame make it virtually maintenance free.

The TMS height can be adjusted to accommodate the additional height of a Cougar-XTi when fitted with a wide variety of available tool skids.

TMS type 8

LARS
A skid mounted 'A' frame, hydraulic power unit (HPU) and winch with an appropriate length of steel wire armoured lift umbilical is the most common Launch and Recovery System (LARS) used for vehicles like Cougar-XTi with a TMS. The picture above shows a LARS with an optional snubber rotator fitted that allows the latched TMS to be orientated fore and aft between the 'A' frame legs during recovery.

Though generally more costly, crane-based alternatives are sometimes used where deck space is at a premium.

A LARS can be ordered for use 'in safe areas of operation' or to meet the 'Zone 2 area' explosion proof standard often required in the offshore oil and gas industry.

A-frame LARS

SPECIFICATIONS MAY CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE