TASKS OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL ROBOTIC WALKING PLATFORMS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF UNDERWATER (UNDER ICE) MINERAL DEPOSITS

• Main Authors: Ustinov, S.A., Serov, V.A., Kovshov, I.V.
• Format: Text
• Language: Russian
• Published: Southern Federal University 2017
• Subjects: Underwater robotics; robotic walking platform; underwater mineral deposit; robotics complex; mobile robot; walking drive; drilling; Arctic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.23683/2311-3103-2017-9-181-192; https://hub.sfedu.ru/repository/material/800817868/?direct_link=true

The development of underwater (under ice) mineral deposits is one of the main ways of fuel and energy complex development. Significant resources of the shelfs allow creating large oil and gas production centers. But the technological systems for arrangement and exploitation of deposits for water area with heavy ice conditions are practically absent nowadays. The Problems of using technological robotic platforms with walking drives for development of underwater mineral deposits of Arctic continental shelf are considered. The basic construction of underwater robotic platform with energy-efficient orthogonal walking drives is proposed. Orthogonal walking drives are characterized by high cross-country capability and can be used on the low bearing capacity ground. The results of experiments on the prototypes of platforms with walking drives proved these features. The following problems can be solved with the usage of such platforms: deposit exploration, engineering survey, drilling of the wells for various purposes, supervising and maintenance of underwater equipment, laying of cables, pipelines and risers on the deposit (including trench digging), connecting and disconnecting of electrical and hydraulic communications, taking samples, supervising of wells, installing bottom base and wellhead, control of the emission and leaks of gas, oil and the process fluids, transportation of consumables and spare parts. There are also a few more practical applications for a group of walking platforms such as transportation and positioning of large-sized cargo with group of platforms and potential of carrying out penetration measurements on the route using of platform’s walking legs. Classification of underwater robotic platforms and main technical requirements based on considered problems are proposed. The models of usage of robotic walking platform for the development of underwater oil and natural gas deposits of the Arctic shelf are offered. The models consider the underwater drilling rig that consists of pair of walking platforms). The advantages of the offered technology are reduction of time of design and arrangement of underwater mineral deposits, reduction of cost of drilling wells of various purposes, increasing mobility of the equipment within the range of facility on the shelf.