Underwater Remote Operated Vehicle STEMM Assessment
Introduction
The Underwater Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) has been around for a few decades. The invention has not thus far gained the reputation and attention that the ROV should be awarded with .Only after the Spring of 2010, due to the British Petroleum oil spill, our inability to repair the problem raised awareness that engineers needed to push development. An oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico cracked and started spewing crude oil into the gulf (See Figure 1.)
The main problem is the location of the well, and the water being too cloudy for humans to work in. With the assistance of Underwater ROVs, British Petroleum and other investors compiled money into one powerful machine. The vehicle was able to conduct tasks with incredible accuracy. Some ROVs are able to survey shipwrecks (See Figure 2) and conduct other dangerous experiments. This was the inciting spark behind the push of underwater ROVs. Engineers, companies, and other major industries working in extreme conditions realized the power of these robots.
Engaging students in robotics and unmanned vehicles would be a vital prerequisite for a future career. The companies SeaPerch and Marine Advanced Technology Education are seeking motivated individuals to modify the ROVs. The final solution, in correspondence with the SeaPerch challenge, will comprise of a mechanical arm, PVC hull and on board electronics. A PlayStation controller configured with a microcontroller would yield the most versatility and control over any other design. (See Figure 3.)
The underwater ROV is an open system because the controller needs human interactive feedback. In addition, the ROV utilizes resources such as electric, which has to be provided as an external source. The electronics are only a portion of the system as a whole. This requirement makes the controller box require external input, maintenance, and upkeep from the end consumer.
Engineering
Engineering
The main underlying focus of the design revolves around Electrical Engineering. This type of engineering primarily consists of utilizing existing components (see Figure 4) with physics and other mathematical principles proving the concepts valid. The electrical components interact in a nature with each other that require the designer to do calculations and conduct scientific reasoning to ensure success for the design.
Manufacturing
If the design were to be manufactured in bulk, Robert Crimmins would recommend following the American Manufacturing Process. Similar to Henry Ford’s manufacturing line in the 1930, (see Figure 5) the hardware would move down an assembly line where members along side of the conveyor would complete one part of the assembly at a time.
Doing this is very efficient because a constant flow of manufactured completed prototypes are coming off the assembly line. This system proved very successful with the creation of Ford Motor Company (See figure 6), and this design would follow the same success. The American system was created to have experts work in one atmosphere or on one part of the design at a given time. Moving down an assembly line, the talents of the specialist are utilized efficiently and moved on to the next employee in the manufacturing line for further development.
The manufacturing categories seen throughout the plan of procedure involve a few subcategories. Electronics is the first subcategory because the design requires the builder to solder wires to existing components including switches, buttons, sockets, ports, indicator lights, and fuses. The integration of a microcontroller (see Figure 7) and programming the circuit board using C++ gives the onboard processor the ability to convert analog to digital information. Nanotechnology engineering is also involved because of the size of the components being used in the design. The Surface Mounted Light Emitting Diodes (SMT LED) are approximately 1.6mm x .8mm x .6mm are installed onto the board in the controller box. Plastic engineering was utilized throughout the construction of this project as well. When working with acrylic, or Plexiglas, drilling holes to install components is utilizing a plastic in an innovative way. Telecommunications is the study of transmitting data from one unit to another. In the electronics portion of the underwater ROV, the data transferred through the electronics utilize use of long distances communications efficiently.
Science
Science is an integral foundation to the electronics portion of the ROV. Exclusively, conceptual physics is used throughout the project in order for the logic to make sense. The project utilizes Ohm's Law (See Figure 8) because the design demands variable voltages and currents for each of the components. Ohm's Law states that voltage is equivalent to the current multiplied by the resistance. This is a fundamental physics law created by physicist Georg Ohm. He discovered through testing circuits using ammeters and volt meters that the readings were directly proportionate to each other due to resistive forces. In addition, the concept of center of mass and center of buoyancy are used throughout the construction of the onboard controller box. These concepts demand specific locations for the components to be in order for the design to remain structurally sound. These physics topics provide mathematical insight and conceptual proof to the equations working coherently with the design.
Science is an integral foundation to the electronics portion of the ROV. Exclusively, conceptual physics is used throughout the project in order for the logic to make sense. The project utilizes Ohm's Law (See Figure 8) because the design demands variable voltages and currents for each of the components. Ohm's Law states that voltage is equivalent to the current multiplied by the resistance. This is a fundamental physics law created by physicist Georg Ohm. He discovered through testing circuits using ammeters and volt meters that the readings were directly proportionate to each other due to resistive forces. In addition, the concept of center of mass and center of buoyancy are used throughout the construction of the onboard controller box. These concepts demand specific locations for the components to be in order for the design to remain structurally sound. These physics topics provide mathematical insight and conceptual proof to the equations working coherently with the design.
Technology
The technology involved with this design contains exclusive components. The first major piece is the Arduino Microcontroller. This is the center of intelligence and processor of all information for the operation and function of the ROV. The next major component is the breadboard because of the solderless and expandable design. Breadboards are created with 2^N th power columns for expandability. Then the rows are all connected with electric-conducting material that will bridge the five wires together to make expanding a very easy task at hand. Another crucial component to the controller box would be the PlayStation Two controller (See figure 9). Although eight years old, the controller has twenty-three buttons, rumble, pressure sensitivity, and two joysticks yielding (x,y) coordination. This has versatility to open potential on the ROV. The integration of a fuse was very vital for safety. Fuses contain thin metal strips that burn at a regulated amperage rating, they are a fool-proof method to safety. If a short, bridge, or failure were to occur within the components, the metal strip will burn and stop the circuit from operating. This protects the circuit from any damage that components may be subject to over a long duration of time when a connection is shorted. Switches are important pieces also associated with the controller box. They have the ability to open and close a circuit leaving the user and/or operator full control of the device. These technological pieces are used to achieve success with the Underwater ROV construction and operation of a controller box.
The technology involved with this design contains exclusive components. The first major piece is the Arduino Microcontroller. This is the center of intelligence and processor of all information for the operation and function of the ROV. The next major component is the breadboard because of the solderless and expandable design. Breadboards are created with 2^N th power columns for expandability. Then the rows are all connected with electric-conducting material that will bridge the five wires together to make expanding a very easy task at hand. Another crucial component to the controller box would be the PlayStation Two controller (See figure 9). Although eight years old, the controller has twenty-three buttons, rumble, pressure sensitivity, and two joysticks yielding (x,y) coordination. This has versatility to open potential on the ROV. The integration of a fuse was very vital for safety. Fuses contain thin metal strips that burn at a regulated amperage rating, they are a fool-proof method to safety. If a short, bridge, or failure were to occur within the components, the metal strip will burn and stop the circuit from operating. This protects the circuit from any damage that components may be subject to over a long duration of time when a connection is shorted. Switches are important pieces also associated with the controller box. They have the ability to open and close a circuit leaving the user and/or operator full control of the device. These technological pieces are used to achieve success with the Underwater ROV construction and operation of a controller box.
Mathematics
The mathematics is utilizing the physics proven equations in practice. Applied physics is the concept of engineering, and making use of the equations to ensure the stability and workability of the design. As previously stated, Ohm's law is written as V=IR where V is voltage, I is current, and R is resistance. For example, To calculate if my tether would be suitable for my project, the voltage entering the system, 12V, was divided by the resistance of the 65' tether (by measuring in the base unit for resistance in ohms) to calculate current. 12 Volts / 1.9 Ohms is 6.316 amps of current. (See Figure 10)
The two motors running simultaneously use about 2.6 amps each or 5.2 amps in total under the volume and density of average water. These calculations prove that the design will have about 1.12 amps of power to use before the wire reaches the manufacturer's rating limit. To figure out the energy efficiency of the motors we are using and their output, the Power Law had to be applied. This law states that voltage multiplied by amperage will yield the product of watts. In the calculations, the design uses 12V DC motors equaling 12 Joules / coulomb of energy, multiplied by 2.6 Amps per motor, which is 2.6 coulombs per second. This product is 12*2.6, or 31.2 watts of energy. When both motors parallel to the ocean floor are operating, the design is utilizing about 62.4 watts, similar to a 60 watt conventional household light bulb. The unit of measurement for watt is number of joules absorbed per unit time (in seconds.) This mathematical computation proves that the two motors running under the stress load of normal density water and viscosity of it will absorb 62.4 joules of energy per second of constant run time. The only calculations that were conducted for this design would be unit conversions from metric measurements to imperial measurements for convenience of parts to work with in the workshop. These figures are the proven values for showing that statistically this project should work. Other factors require consideration such as outside forces and frictional forces (See Figure 11.) The stress placed on the components, have a reasonable margin for error built in with the calculations for safety.
The electronics portions of the Underwater Remote Operated Vehicle make use of the subdivisions of the concept of STEMM. The design demanded the utilization of science and physics to prove conceptually and analytically that the electronic components would work coherently with each other. The technologies used throughout this project involve different tools to aide construction. Copper wire, solder, and heat sinks (See figure 13) are tools that aide the coherence of the components. As far as the computational technology in the design, microcontrollers and other circuit boards are integrated with other systems to perform the best way possible.
Conclusion
STEMM is an integral foundation to design and production in the modern technical age. The five letter acronym stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Mathematics.” Each one of these components serves as a vital component to the curriculum in Systems Engineering II. The Underwater Remote Operated Vehicle is a predominant piece in modern day society. They are used for research, excavation, and underwater analysis to perform tasks at hand. STEMM is an encompassing process that covers all areas of the Underwater ROV construction and concepts.
