Blue Robotics/OpenROV 2.8 Hybrid ROV

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SSN626B
Posts: 194
Joined: Nov 16th, 2013, 2:11 pm
Location: Ft. Lauderdale FL

Blue Robotics/OpenROV 2.8 Hybrid ROV

Post by SSN626B »

I have been working on a three thruster ROV configuration that combines a BR BlueROV1 chassis1 (no thrusters or WTC) and three T100 Thrusters4 with an OpenROV 2.8 Developer's Controller Kit1, WTC, End Caps and IMU/Compass/Depth Module.
The only limitation of this hybrid ROV is the fact that the OpenROV Controller is not designed to handle the maximum current required by the BR T100 Thrusters. Therefore the ROV cannot be run at its full thrust, but close enough for my kind of work.
I have completed assembling the BR ROV chassis and have added the three T100 Thrusters. To be able to mount the center vertical Thruster I flipped the chassis center plate upside down putting the 4" diameter WTC on the bottom of the chassis instead of the top. The WTC will hold the two 5,000 mah 9.6 v NMHi batteries.
On the top side of the chassis center plate I built a platform that looks like the letter "H". I have two vertical plates separated by two 1/4 inch diameter stainless steel rods which are used to support the vertical Thruster.
Since the bottom portion of the chassis is not tall enough to clear the 4 inch diameter WTC, I have added 1/2 thick HDPE extenders to the bottom of the chassis.
To mount the OpenROV WTC I have built a cradle that attaches to the front of the ROV. I will provide pictures of the WTC Cradle as soon as I have it completed.
Regards,
SSN626B/TCIII AVD
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Hybrid ROV Front View
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Hybrid ROV Side View
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Hybrid ROV Top View
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OpenROV 2.8 Controller
Last edited by SSN626B on Sep 18th, 2016, 3:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
SSN626B
Posts: 194
Joined: Nov 16th, 2013, 2:11 pm
Location: Ft. Lauderdale FL

Re: Blue Robotics/OpenROV 2.8 Hybrid ROV

Post by SSN626B »

I completed the OpenROV WTC Cradle today.

The WTC locks into a permanent transverse bar on the bottom of the Cradle. The top transverse bar, being removable, is held in place with a stainless steel 4-40 machine screw at each end so that the WTC can be installed and removed from the Cradle with a minimum of effort.
The back support of the Cradle has two holes for M5 stainless steel metric screws that mate with stainless steel "T" nuts in the slotted transverse bar at the front of the ROV Chassis.
Tomorrow I will disassemble the Chassis in order to slide the "T" nuts into the slotted bar and to reposition one of the front facing transverse rods that presently interferes with the Cradle assembly. I will then shoot a couple of pictures of the Cradle installed in the front of the ROV Chassis.
Regards,
SSN626B/TCIII AVD
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Cradle Front View without Bar
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Cradle Front View
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Cradle Top View
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WTC in Cradle
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WTC Cradle Side View
SSN626B
Posts: 194
Joined: Nov 16th, 2013, 2:11 pm
Location: Ft. Lauderdale FL

Re: Blue Robotics/OpenROV 2.8 Hybrid ROV

Post by SSN626B »

I completed the installation of the WTC Cradle into the front of the ROV Chassis and relocated one of the transverse rods that was interfering with the bottom of the Cradle.
Regards,
SSN626B/TCIII AVD
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Cradle Mounted in ROV Chassis
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WTC Mounted in Cradle
SSN626B
Posts: 194
Joined: Nov 16th, 2013, 2:11 pm
Location: Ft. Lauderdale FL

Re: Blue Robotics/OpenROV 2.8 Hybrid ROV

Post by SSN626B »

I was asked about the build cost of this hybrid ROV over on the OpenROV Forum. Here is what I responded with:
Unfortunately, this is not an inexpensive ROV to build due to the fact that just the three BR short cable Thrusters alone are $315 plus shipping which is quite a bit more than the three OpenROV brushless motors plus the three propellers.
I was able to purchase just the BlueROV1 chassis for around $245 plus shipping. So you can see that the price counting only just the chassis and the thrusters is already at $560.
The OpenROV 2.8 Developer's Controller Kit plus the WTC, End Caps and the Controller Assembly acrylic chassis components add another $572 plus shipping and I still have to purchase the battery WTC (around $156 plus shipping) and the two NMHi 5000 mah 9.6vdc batteries ($48/battery).
Regards,
SSN626B/TCIII AVD
SSN626B
Posts: 194
Joined: Nov 16th, 2013, 2:11 pm
Location: Ft. Lauderdale FL

Re: Blue Robotics/OpenROV 2.8 Hybrid ROV

Post by SSN626B »

I would like to report at this time that I have successfully built and tested an OpenROV IMU/Compass/Depth Sensor Module (http://store.openrov.com/collections/fr ... pth-module) for my hybrid ROV.
I have received the NMHi 9.6 vdc 4500 mah batteries to power the Controller and have therefore been able to determine the correct length of the 4 in diameter battery WTC in relation to the length of the batteries. So I will now order a BR WTC of the appropriate length along with O ring flanges, end caps, cable penetrator fittings and pressure relief valve.
In the meantime I will determine the appropriate Controller cable harness routing and construct a mount for IMU/Compass/Depth Sensor Module.
Regards,
SSN626B/TCIII AVD
Image
OpenROV IMU/Compass/Depth Module
SSN626B
Posts: 194
Joined: Nov 16th, 2013, 2:11 pm
Location: Ft. Lauderdale FL

Re: Blue Robotics/OpenROV 2.8 Hybrid ROV

Post by SSN626B »

Hi All,
I have received the BR custom length (9.5 in) 4 in diameter WTC along with two 6 mm cable penetrators, one pressure relief valve, and two blank cable penetrators which will be used to block off two of the unused cable penetrator holes in the front End Cap Plate.
I have potted a two conductor 16 gauge power cable into each of the two 6 mm cable penetrators. The external end of each power cable will connect to one of the two battery wire pairs in the OpenROV wire harness. The internal end of each power cable will connect to one of the two NiMH 9.6 vdc 4500 mah batteries that will reside in the battery WTC.
I will continue to route the OpenROV wire harness to the BR Thrusters, battery cables, external lights,and IMU/Compass/Depth Sensor Module.
I have also vacuum tested a second set of OpenROV WTC End Caps and was able to sustain a 540 mm Hg vacuum for more than two hours.
More to come.
Regards,
SSN626B/TCIII
SSN626B
Posts: 194
Joined: Nov 16th, 2013, 2:11 pm
Location: Ft. Lauderdale FL

Re: Blue Robotics/OpenROV 2.8 Hybrid ROV

Post by SSN626B »

Hi All,
I have completed the routing of the Controller Board 2.8 wire harness in relation to the physical locations of the three Thrusters, the IMU/Compass/Depth Sensor Module, the Battery WTC and the two External Light Cubes that I purchased recently.
I will now make the necessary solder connections between the three Thrusters, the IMU/Compass/Depth Sensor Module, the Battery WTC and the two External Light Cubes. I still need to build support platforms for the IMU/Compass/Depth Sensor Module and the External Light Cubes. I have selected the locations for the IMU/Compass/Depth Sensor Module and the External Light Cubes supports and have routed their wire harness wires appropriately.
Upon completion of the soldering I will waterproof all of the exposed solder connections and unused wire ends.
Below are a series of pictures of my wire routing work in progress:
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ROV Head on View showing the Controller Board WTC & the front of the Battery WTC
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ROV Head on shot showing the routing of the Controller Board Wire Harness to the two horizontal Thrusters
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Head on shot showing the Vertical Thruster cable in relation to the Wire Harness Vertical Thruster ESC wires
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Head on Rear View shot of the Battery WTC power cables and the Controller Board Battery Cables and the Tether Cable wires
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Head on shot of the Vertical Thruster wire routing on the Vertical Thruster Support.
The routing of the Vertical Thruster wires allows the longitudinal movement of the Vertical Thruster on its support rails without putting undue strain on the Thruster wiring.
More to come.
Regards,
SSN626B/TCIII
SSN626B
Posts: 194
Joined: Nov 16th, 2013, 2:11 pm
Location: Ft. Lauderdale FL

Re: Blue Robotics/OpenROV 2.8 Hybrid ROV

Post by SSN626B »

Hi All,
This last weekend I managed to wire up all three Thrusters to their respective Controller Board ESC wire harness wires using this BR wiring & potting document, fabricated and mounted the IMU Module Bracket on the Vertical Thruster forward vertical Support Plate, and I have mounted and wired up two External Light Cubes to their respective Controller Board wire harness wires. The External Light Cubes are attached with wire ties to the ends of two acrylic arms that extend forward from the ROV chassis side plates.

I have also attached one end of 50 meters of the OpenROV Neutrally Buoyant Tether cable to a hard plastic thimble to provide a strain relief for the tether. The tether is presently just hanging on one of the chassis transverse support rods until I can attach it to a permanent mount on the chassis. I have purchased a stainless steel "Eye" bolt that I will attach to the back of the vertical thruster rear vertical support. The "Eye" bolt will be mounted perpendicular to the vertical support plate and I will use large cable ties to attach the thimble to the "Eye" bolt. The ROV end of the Neutrally Buoyant Tether cable will be attached to the Controller Board wire harness tether wires through a two pin waterproof connector.
The pictures below will give an idea of what I accomplished this last weekend:
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Head On view showing mounted External Light Cubes
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Side view of External Light Cube mounting on ROV chassis
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Horizontal and Vertical Thruster cable to Controller Board Wire Harness wiring and sealing
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IMU Module Mount Bracket
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Neutrally Buoyant Tether and Tether Thimble Strain Relief
More to come.
Regards,
SSN626B/TCIII
SSN626B
Posts: 194
Joined: Nov 16th, 2013, 2:11 pm
Location: Ft. Lauderdale FL

Re: Blue Robotics/OpenROV 2.8 Hybrid ROV

Post by SSN626B »

Hi All,
I got the Tether Thimble and waterproof two pin connector installed today. As I stated in yesterday's post the Thimble is attached to a stainless steel "Eye" bolt that is attached to the back of the Vertical Thruster rear vertical support. The "Eye" bolt can be easily removed from the vertical support plate and the waterproof connector disconnected to allow removal of the Tether for travel. I used large cable ties to attach the Thimble to the "Eye" bolt which keep it from swiveling on and solidly anchored to the "Eye" bolt. I still have to cleanup and secure the waterproof connector and tether wires to the chassis.

The pictures below will give an idea of what I accomplished today:
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Head On View of Thimble Mount with Waterproof Connector in the Background
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Upper View of Thimble Mounted to "Eye" Bolt with Tie Wraps
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Side View of Thimble/Eye Bolt Mounting Scheme
More to come
Regards,
SSN626B/TCIII
Silver dollar
Posts: 75
Joined: Feb 20th, 2011, 3:03 pm
Location: Munkedal, Sweden

Re: Blue Robotics/OpenROV 2.8 Hybrid ROV

Post by Silver dollar »

Looking great!
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