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Due to the added size of weight of
Hydroid’s deep water REMUS-600 and 6000 AUVs,
it is recommended that customers purchase Hydroid’s
optional Launch and Recovery System (LARS) to aid in
the transport, launch and recovery of the AUV system.
The self-contained
LARS is land, sea, and air shippable in an internally
customized standard ISO container, which has been
modified to permit the unit to function as a shipboard
operations and maintenance center. The LARS allows
the vehicle to be operated from a vessel in sea
states up to those generated by Beaufort Scale
5 winds.
The vehicle’s launch and
recovery system is designed to function off the
stern of a ship and can be set up for shipboard
operations in a few hours. The launch and recovery
system is based a similar operational system,
designed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
(WHOI), which has completed over 1000 launch and
recovery operations at sea.
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LARS
Features:
The LARS is a self-contained system.
The vehicle is placed on a cradle, which is part of
the LARS. The vehicle cradle also doubles as a maintenance
and shipping stand. The cradle is pinned to the LARS,
and the LARS docking head is placed on the nose of the
vehicle. A lift/tow line is attached directly to the
tow-line release actuator on the vehicle, and then pulled
taught by the lifting winch.
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For
launch, the LARS includes a built-in A-frame, which
tilts the cradle up and over, finally leaving the
vehicle hanging by its nose well outboard of the
fantail. The cradle supports the vehicle during
the first 90 degrees of the LARS A-frame rotation,
stabilizing the vehicle until it is a safe distance
from the stern. The docking head provides damping
to reduce swing in heavy seas. The vehicle is then
quickly lowered into the water, tail first, while
the ship is making approximately 1-2 knots forward
way. While in tow, a “wet checkout”
of the vehicle may be performed prior to release.
When the ships crew is ready, the vehicle is commanded
to release its tow-line and begin its mission. |
At the end of the mission, when the
vehicle surfaces, it will notify the operators via Iridium
or Wi-Fi (depending on distance from the ship) that
it is on the surface, and will provide its GPS coordinates.
The ship then approaches the vehicle. Additionally,
the vehicle may be manually driven on the surface via
the Wi-Fi connection, reducing the need for ship maneuvering.
When nearby, the ship commands the vehicle to release
its recovery float and line, which then make an easy
target for a grapple toss. Once the line is on-board,
the vehicle is then put in tow and the line is attached
to the LARS for recovery. Once on deck the vehicle remains
in the LARS where it may be prepared for its next mission.
During launch and recovery, the LARS
maintains excellent control of the vehicle without any
need for tag lines, resulting in an extremely safe and
reliable method for launch and recovery. The LARS actuators
and winch motors are hydraulic, and a hydraulic power-pack
is built in. One operator is required to control the
system. A built in operator’s console with proportional
controls allows for simple and safe operation.
LARS
Specifications:
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