Ocean Engineering and Unmanned Marine Vehicles

- Overview 

Ocean engineering combines various engineering disciplines with oceanography to design, build, and manage systems in marine environments. This field drives innovation in areas such as coastal protection, resource management, and climate monitoring, often leveraging robotics like Unmanned Marine Vehicles (UMVs) for exploration and data collection. 

1. Core Disciplines and Focus Areas: 

• Multidisciplinary Blend: Integrates mechanical, electrical, civil, acoustical, and chemical engineering principles with the study of the ocean itself.
• Coastal Engineering: Focuses on managing coasts, including designing dikes, implementing flood control measures, and restoring beaches.
• Marine Vehicles: Involves the design and operation of ships, submersibles, and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs/USVs).
• Marine Structures: Concentrates on developing robust offshore platforms, pipelines, and various underwater systems.
• Instrumentation: Dedicated to creating durable sensors and equipment essential for deep-sea exploration and continuous monitoring.
• Underwater Acoustics: Explores the behavior of sound in the ocean for critical applications like navigation, communication, and mapping.

2. Key Applications:

• Exploration & Monitoring: Employs robotics for detailed mapping, efficient data collection, and essential deep-sea research.
• Resource Management: Supports the extraction of offshore oil and gas and the development of renewable ocean energy sources, such as wave and tidal power.
• Environmental Protection: Addresses pressing issues like pollution and coastal erosion, while managing broader marine environments.
• Defense & Navigation: Designs specialized systems for military applications and general marine navigation sectors.

3. Challenges Addressed:

• Harsh Conditions: Engineers must design systems that withstand significant challenges like corrosion, powerful waves, strong currents, and biofouling.
• Human Limitations: UMVs mitigate human danger and overcome physical limits in depth and duration, enabling safer and more extensive missions.
• Data Quality: The field continuously works to improve the accuracy and reliability of data collection, which is vital for climate science and research.

4. Impact: 

• Revolutionizing Oceanography: Ocean engineering facilitates deeper, longer, and more extensive ocean exploration than previously possible.
• Technological Innovation: It drives significant advancements in the development of underwater vehicles, sophisticated sensors, and resilient structural designs.

- Unmanned Marine Vehicles (UMVs)

Ocean Engineering uses Unmanned Marine Vehicles (UMVs) like AUVs (untethered, pre-programmed underwater robots), USVs (surface drones for data), and ROVs (tethered, operator-controlled for complex tasks) to explore, map, monitor, and manipulate underwater environments, replacing or augmenting risky human operations for tasks like seabed surveying, scientific research, and military surveillance. 

These technologies enable cost-effective, high-resolution data collection in deep, hazardous, or vast areas, expanding our understanding and utilization of the ocean.

What Unmanned Marine Vehicles (UMVs) Are: 

1. AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles):

• Definition: Untethered, self-guided underwater robots that execute pre-programmed missions independently.
• Key Feature: No physical link to a ship, allowing deep dives and long-distance travel.
• Uses: Deep-sea mapping, environmental monitoring, searching for objects, military surveillance.

2. USVs (Unmanned Surface Vehicles):

• Definition: Autonomous or remotely controlled drones that operate on the ocean's surface.
• Key Feature: Provide a stable platform for sensors and data collection from the surface.
• Uses: Hydrographic surveys, oceanographic data collection, coastal patrols, and even as mobile attack platforms.

3. ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles):

• Definition: Underwater robots connected to a support ship by a physical tether (umbilical).
• Key Feature: Real-time control and continuous power/data flow from operators.
• Uses: Complex manipulation tasks like pipeline inspection, sample collection, and construction.

- UMV Communication Systems

Unmanned Marine Vehicles (UMVs) use a mix of communication systems: acoustic modems for long-range underwater data via sound waves, optical links (lasers) for high-bandwidth short-range underwater comms, and traditional radio/satellite links for surface/air communication, often combined with UAV relays to extend range, plus internal network tech like CAN bus for vehicle systems. 

The choice depends on whether the vehicle is submerged (acoustic/optical) or on the surface (radio/satellite). 

1. Underwater Communication (UUVs/AUVs): 

• Acoustic Modems: Use sound waves, offering long range but lower bandwidth (e.g., up to 80 bits/second), crucial for command, control, and basic data.
• Optical Communication: Uses lasers for high-speed data, ideal for short-range, high-bandwidth needs, often with tracking systems for accuracy.
• Magnetic Induction: Another method for underwater data transfer, though less common than acoustic or optical.

2. Surface & Air Communication (USVs/UAVs): 

• Radio Frequency (RF): Standard for surface vehicles (USVs) and drones (UAVs) for commands and data back to shore.
• Satellite Communications: Enables long-range, real-time data transmission from remote ocean areas.
• UAV Relays: A drone (UAV) flies above a surface vessel (ASV) to relay data to a ground station, extending range and overcoming water signal blockage.

3. Internal Vehicle Networks:

• Controller Area Network (CAN Bus): A robust system for internal communication between electronic control units (ECUs) within the vehicle, common in automotive and adapted for marine systems for reliable data flow.

4. Tethered Systems (ROVs):

Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) often rely on a physical tether, providing power and high-bandwidth data communication, replacing complex wireless systems.

- The US Navy's Future Fleet and Future Surface Combatant

The U.S. Navy is shifting to a "hybrid fleet" with both crewed and uncrewed ships, featuring Long-Range Unmanned Surface Vessels (LUSVs) for missile platforms and Large Unmanned Surface/Undersea Vehicles (MUSVs) for sensing/non-kinetic effects, aiming for up to 40% unmanned by mid-century, complemented by new crewed vessels like the smaller, agile FF(X) combatant and larger DDG(X) destroyers to meet global demands and counter increasing costs, with significant funding allocated to develop these new capabilities. 

1. Key Components of the Future Fleet:

• LUSVs (Long-Range Unmanned Surface Vessels): Low-cost, high-endurance, reconfigurable vessels designed to carry and launch missiles remotely, acting as missile platforms.
• MUSVs (Large Unmanned Surface/Undersea Vehicles): Similar attributes to LUSVs but focus on sensing and non-kinetic (e.g., electronic warfare) payloads.
• FF(X) (Future Frigate): A new, smaller, agile crewed combatant based on the Coast Guard's Legend-class cutter, providing adaptability and unmanned system command.
• DDG(X) (Next-Generation Destroyer): To replace older destroyers and cruisers, providing a larger, multi-mission platform.

2. trategic Drivers:

• Fleet Size & Cost: The Navy needs more ships to meet commitments but faces rising build and manning costs, leading to the reliance on cheaper unmanned systems.
• Sensor & Weapon Reach: Unmanned vehicles extend the fleet's sensors and weapons capacity over vast distances.
• Flexibility: The hybrid approach allows for dynamic force projection with both crewed command and massed unmanned effects.

3. Development & Goals:

• Force Design 2045: Calls for a fleet of 350 crewed ships and 150 large USVs.
• Modular Payloads: Unmanned systems are designed to carry modular payloads (like missile containers).
• Hybridization: By 2050, up to 40% of the fleet could be unmanned, integrating with traditional ships.