Everight Position’s Submersible Sensors for UUVs

Meeting the Challenges of Un-manned Underwater Vehicles

Everight Position recently collaborated with a prominent laboratory to develop submersible sensors for an unmanned guided vehicle (UGV). These advanced sensors were specifically designed to operate at extreme depths, encountering high pressure, salt water, and varied environmental conditions. This Case Study outlines the challenges faced, the solutions provided by Everight Position, and the outcomes of this successful collaboration.

Challenges

The development of submersible sensors for UUVs presents several significant challenges:

• High Pressure: Operating at depths of several thousands of feet, the sensors had to withstand immense pressure. This required materials and designs that could maintain functionality and integrity under such conditions. For this application 100 bar was required.
• Salt Water Exposure: The corrosive nature of salt water posed a risk to the longevity and reliability of the sensors. Ensuring that the sensors could resist corrosion was crucial.
• Environmental Variability: The sensors needed to perform reliably in varying underwater conditions, including temperature fluctuations, salinity changes, and potential physical impacts.

Solutions Provided

Inductive sensors were a natural choice to build upon for this application. Inherently compact, available in a wide variety of diameters and unaffected by water, dirt and other contaminants, inductive technology brought many advantages compared to alternatives such as optical or capacitive sensors. To ensure the sensors could withstand high pressure, modifications to the standard potting process were made, utilizing materials known for their strength and durability in extreme conditions in addition to proper outgassing.

Conclusion

Everight Position’s innovative approach to developing submersible sensors for UGVs showcases their commitment to addressing complex challenges in harsh environments. By building off of existing designs, both lead times and costs are kept to a minimum, while still providing a solution that met the stringent requirements of deep-sea operations. This collaboration not only highlights Everight Position’s expertise in sensor technology but also their dedication to delivering reliable and high-performance solutions for their customers.