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The Business Problem
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Technical Solution
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There is no method – other than visual inspection– to monitor the in-service condition of a fiber |
RMS® is an ROV-deployed frame equipped with a hydraulic sled and geometrically fixed cameras. .
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The Business Solution
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Technical Details
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Introduce an in-service mooring inspection system.
The Welaptega RMS® assesses the in-service condition of fiber or wire rope moorings. Deployed by ROV, the RMS® identifies changes in the cross-sectional geometry of the rope.
These measurements are indicators of potential deterioration of the rope.
Deterioration increases the risk of failure in a mooring system. The RMS® frame is towed by ROV along sections of fiber or wire rope, cleaning the surface and recording dimensions in real time. The surface condition is recorded for later analysis.
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The ROV deploys the RMS® frame to the fiber or wire rope. A hydraulic sled encircles the rope and clasps shut.
As the frame is towed along the rope by the ROV the sled removes marine growth using a combination of processes that include a mechanical plough, high-pressure water jetting and an annulus of brushes. One or all of these options can be used for a customized service.
At the rear end of the sled, two-to-four video cameras are positioned at 90 degrees to each other and 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the rope. As the frame is moved, the cameras record measurements The video signal is then transmitted via the ROV to a top-side computer suite which processes video signals at 50 frames per second, in real time. Automatic measurement algorithms measure the rope at approximately 50 mm increments. This builds a profile of the rope’s geometry along each mooring line.
For fiber rope, potential deterioration is indicated if the diameter measurements are smaller than manufacturer’s specification. If measurements are more than specification, this indicates a flattening in the rope’s circumference which is another sign of internal structural deterioration. For wire rope an increase in diameter may be an indication of corrosion of interior wire strands. |
System integrity
The RMS® has been designed in consultation
with rope manufacturers, installers and platform
operators to ensure safe data acquisition
without affecting the performance or integrity
of the rope system.
RMS® is equipped with
incorporating sprung,
the rope remains
with other system
Welaptega RMS® specifications
• Work-class ROV with 7-function
manipulator
System components
• High-resolution video camera array
with integrated LED lighting
• Acetal tool frame
• Digital recording system
• Real-time computer image analysis system
Rope surface preparation
• In-built three-way marine growth
removal system
Both cameras have in-built LED lighting to
enhance visual video images of the rope’s
surface.