Research Development of Energy Efficient Water Hydraulics Manipulator for Underwater Application

Abstract

This paper presents research development of water hydraulicsmanipulator testrig for underwater application at Centre for AdvancedResearch on Energy, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka. The test rig is designed in order to study the effectiveness of using water hydraulics system for underwater manipulation application. With objectives to promote sustainability and energy saving, the manipulator system is targeted for usage in an underwater scenario, possibly on small submarines or underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).Underwater vehicles normally utilize the use of oil hydraulics for propulsion, manipulation and instrument control. The research on underwater manipulator that uses the surrounding sea water itself as the power and energy carrier for control is now possible with the current development in water hydraulics technology.