as far as 50 km (31 mi) from its starting point using onboard lithium batteries. This usually is sufficient to reach any destination across a single production field, between neighboring fields, or to an ice-covered field after being deployed at the limit of the ice layer. Yet higher ranges may be required, particularly if the vehicle must be fully autonomous from any surface support, and navigate on its own from the harbor to the production field, and back. Increased autonomy can come by adding battery packs, but with a weight and size penalty, and also by improving hydrodynamic efficiency. Research is under way to improve the autonomy of lithium batteries and will further increase the range of AUVs. An alternative for very long range (100 km [62 mi] and beyond) may be fuel cells. Already demonstrated on Jamstec s Urashima AUV, and Kongsberg s Hugin AUV, fuel cells may significantly increase energy storage onboard an AUV.operations (IO), or e-fields, rely on fast data-rate networks to connect offshore facilities to onshore bases for real-time monitor and control. This does not provide for local maintenance. Swimmer can provide remote IMR capability, provided its docking stations (across multiple subsea fields) are connected to the IO networks. IMR operations then can be done remotely from the onshore base.
3. Subsea Technologies for Tomorrow
the conquest of the ultra-deep offshore takes shape, subsea processing, electric power transmission and supply and the heating of long-distance transport lines will be the keys to success.Trace Heating of Effluent Transport Linestransport involves long distances, no insulation system, no matter how effective, can suffice to keep hydrocarbon temperatures above the threshold for hydrate formation. Hydrates are solid compounds liable to plug pipes. The only solution is to heat the multiphase lines that transport the production effluents.is in the vanguard of this field, with two technologies under development: trace heating: electric heating wires are wound between the two pipes of an insulated pipe-in-pipe line . The Group is the first to test this technology on a subsea gas pipeline linking the new Islay gas development in the British sector of the North Sea to the subsea gas gathering network that Total has already deployed over the area. As the conquest of the ultra-deep offshore takes shape, subsea processing, electric power transmission and supply and the heating of long-distance transport lines will be the keys to success.Trace Heating of Effluent Transport Linestransport involves long distances, no insulation system, no matter how effective, can suffice to keep hydrocarbon temperatures above the threshold for hydrate formation. Hydrates are solid compounds liable to plug pipes. The only solution is to heat the multiphase lines that transport the production effluents.
Total is in the vanguard of this field, with two technologies under development: trace heating: electric heating wires are wound between the two pipes of an insulated pipe-in-pipe line. The Group is the first to test this technology on a subsea gas pipeline linking the new Islay gas development in the British sector of the North Sea to the subsea gas gathering network that Total has already deployed over the area.fabric: the Energized Composite Solutions ( ECS) technology capitalizes on the properties of a composite fabric ...
