1. Office of Dive Safety
NWP Remotely Operated
Vehicle (ROV) and sonar
briefing
By Rick Benoit and Todd Manny
District Dive / ROV Coordinators / Dive Safety Officers

2. Portland District’s
Deep Ocean Engineering’s
Phantom XTL and VideoRay Pro 3 GTO LX
Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV)

3. Portland District’s
Rapid Response
ROV Package

4. ROV applications
USACE Projects and Facilities
• Inspections of:
– Navigation Locks, Trash-Racks, & Pen-Stocks;
– Fish-ways, Fish Ladders, Intakes & Outfalls Pipes;
– Ships Hull, Bridge & Piers, Stilling Basin, Walls & Aprons;
– Potable Water Tanks, Bulkheads, Stop-Log Sills & Guides.
– Marine Life Surveys; Hydrographic Surveys with SONAR;
– Bottom Sampling (Subaqueous Sediment Testing);
– Security Investigations; Archeological Investigations;
– Light Maintenance & Salvage (Retrievals of ROV’s a Specialty!).

5. Specifications
General:
Weight: 110lbs
Maximum depth:500 feet
Test depth:1000 feet
Camera:
12:1 optical zoom high-resolution color video camera
Superb video quality, +/-90* camera and light tilt
Instrumentation:
Gimbaled fluxgate compass
Electronic depth gauge
Auto depth control
Leak detector
Lights:
Tungsten-halogen, (2) 150 watt
Standard Umbilical Tether:
400 feet, neutrally buoyant
BlueView 2D multi-beam and Tritech scanning sonar;
17 in. daylight viewable video monitor;
DVD and SD card recording capability;
Adjustable Manipulator Arm with gripper/cutter;
USBL Tracking system;
GPS positioning capability;
Vehicle mounted electric hoist with 100’ cable;
SYSTEM PACKAGE VALUE:
~ $150,000
Phantom XTL Specifications

6. Specifications
General:
Weight: 10lbs;
Size: 14.5” x 9” x 8.5”;
Maximum depth: 500 feet;
Speed: GTO (Greater Thrust Option) 4.1 knots max;
Control Panel:
15” Daylight viewable monitor with sensor overlay, joystick
and switching for ROV control and operations. Video and
recording outputs;
Camera (s):
Front: Wide angle, variable tilt, high-resolution color video
camera. Superb video quality, 570 lines of resolution;
Rear: High Resolution Black & White with high intensity LED
array;
Integrated Sensors:
Compass heading;
Electronic depth gauge;
Auto depth control;
Lights:
(2) X 20 watt halogen lamps with variable intensity control;
Standard Umbilical Tether:
580 feet, neutrally buoyant;
BlueView 2D multi-beam and Tritech MICRON scanning sonar
compatible;
DVD recording capability;
Adjustable Manipulator Arm with gripper;
SYSTEM PACKAGE VALUE:
~ $40,000
VideoRay PRO 3 GTO LX Specifications

7. Sonar Image Interpretation

9. Phantom ROV Video Display
ROV depth
ROV heading
DateTime
Tether
rotations

10. ROV Scanning Sonar
•Tritech SeaPrince DST Sonar- Long Range ROV Navigation, Obstacle avoidance and Sector
Scanning sonar. Used to navigate ROV into areas of low/zero visibility. Also allows ROV pilot to
“see” further than the ROV’s camera permits due to light and water clarity. Scanning capability
allows section and elevation views of structures as well.
Dam Face
Intake structure
covered with wood
debris
Bottom profile
Cottage Grove Dam,
Fore bay Section View
Cottage Grove Dam,
Fore bay Elevation
View
Water surface
Dam Face
Corbels
Wood debris
Top of Intake
structure
Bottom profile

11. ROV 2D Multi-beam Sonar
BlueView P900-45, 2D multi-beam sonar- High resolution imagery for underwater detection and
identification, especially in low-visibility environments. Used for hull and structure inspections, IED
detection, underwater navigation, and search and recovery operations. Items on the scanned image
can be measured with installed software; video and jpegs created as well.
Dorena Dam Intake
Structure, Upper
Elevation View
Corbel
Dam Face
Bulkhead
Guide
Top of Trash
Rack structure
Regulating
Outlet
Reservoir bottom
Dorena Dam Intake
Structure, Lower
Elevation View
Top of Trash
Rack structure
Bulkhead Slot
Trash Rack
vertical columns
Reservoir bottom

12. ROV 2D Multi-beam Sonar, cont.
Denison Dam Trash Rack
Denison, TX (SWT)
Bottom profile
Trash rack horizontal members
Pier nose
ROV tether

13. Muliti-beam and Scanning sonar comparison
-Broken Bow Reservoir Low Level Outfall Structure.
Structure located at the bottom of the reservoir in 165 ft.
of water using the BlueView Multi-beam sonar.
-BlueView also used to navigate ROV to structure for
inspection of bulkhead guides and sill.
-Tritech scanning sonar utilized to pilot ROV
within the Outfall Structure to conduct guide and
sill inspections.
Outfall
vertical walls
Bulkhead guides
Debris on
reservoir bottom
Outfall
vertical walls
Bulkhead guides
ROV location
ROV location

14. Other ROV System Equipment & Capabilities
-Ultra Short Baseline Tracking System
(USBL)- allows geo-referenced tracking of
ROV underwater; provides relative
bearing, depth, and location of ROV from
vessel or deployment point;
-HYPACK Survey- a hydrographic survey
and processing software that provides the
tools needed to collect survey data, track
and plot ROV and target locations on a
geo-referenced background or map;
-Differential Global Positioning System
(DGPS)- provides accurate differential
location of ROV or vessel while conducting
surveys and inspections;
-KVH Digital Compass- provides accurate
heading of ROV or vessel while conducting
surveys and inspection;

15. ROV Missions in 2011:
1. BON PH1 Amburson Section Insp. (3);
2. Foster Dam Lifting Beam Guide Insp.(2);
3. John Day Dam Adult Fish-Way Insp. (2);
4. John Day Dam ROV Recovery;
5. John Day Dam Spill-bay #20 Insp.;
6. Foster Dam Fish Ladder Sill Insp.;
7. Green Peter Dam Trash Rack Insp.;
8. John Day Dam North Fish Ladder Insp.;
9. John Day Dam S. Fish Turbine Intake Insp.;
10. John Day Dam MU TR#1 Insp.;

16. ROV Missions in 2012:
1. Columbia River Derelict Barge 202 Insp. (2);
2. DET Dam Fish Transducer Insp. (2);
3. USACE ESSAYONS Bow thruster Insp.;
4. Little Goose Dam NAV Lock/Fish Ladder Intake Insp.;
5. Little Goose Dam Boat Boom and Anchor Insp.;
6. BON Bradford Is B-branch Fish Ladder Repair Insp.;
7. BON and TDA Trolley Pipes Inspection;
8. Little Goose MU TR #1/NAV Lock Insp.;
9. JDA NFL AWS ROV and Lifting Beam Recovery (2);
10. JDA South Fish Turbine Bulkhead Insp.;
11. BON PH2 MU 11 Tail Log Insp.;
12. Willow Creek Water Quality Intake Insp.;
13. Dorena Dam Forebay and Stilling Basin Insp.;
14. Cottage Grove Forebay and Stilling Basin Insp.;
15. Cougar Dam RO Stilling Basin Insp,;
16. JDA Adult Fishway Collection Channel Insp.;
17. JDA NFL Entrance Insp. (2);
18. Lost Creek Dam Stilling Basin Insp.;
19. BON Spillway Apron Insp.;

17. ROV Missions in 2013
1. TDA Navlock Insp. (2);
2. Fern Ridge Dam Forebay Insp.;
3. Cougar Dam Diversion Tunnel Entrance (2);
4. BON PH2 dredging survey verification;
5. Foster MU Trash Rack/ Spillway insp.;
6. Green Peter Fish Well insp.;
7. JDA S. Fish Collection Channel/TR and MU Trash Rack
debris insp.;
8. BON PH1 ROV retrieval;
9. Denison Dam (SWT) Intake tower/Stilling basin insp.;
10. Broken Bow Dam (SWT) Intake tower/Stilling basin insp.;
11. BON PH2 LFS insp. (external);
12. BON PH2 LFS insp. (internal);
13. JDA Fish Collection Channel Insp.;
14. TDA trash rack insp.;
15. BONN PH2 FU trash rack insp.;
16. Coos Bay USACE Field Office Pier insp.;
17. USACE Dredge Essayons hull insp.;
18. Oologah Dam Intake and Spillway Insp. (SWT);
19. Marion Dam Intake and Spillway Insp. (SWT);
20. BONN Hamilton Is. Boat Ramp Insp.;
21. JDA Adult Fishway Insp.;
22. TDA N/S Fish Ladder Entrance Insp;
23. McNary WA Shore Fish Ladder Exit Insp.(2);
24. TDA Navlock Intake Insp.;

18. ROV Missions in 2014 (to date):
1. JDA South Fish Turbine Intake/ MU 2 Trash Rack Insp.;
2. McNary Dam (NWW) ORSFL Bulkhead Sill Insp.;
3.Lower Granite Dam JFF Trash Rack Debris Insp.;
4. TDA AWS pre-installation inspection;
5.McNary Dam (NWW) Fish Unit #2 inspection;
6.JDA NFL VWW Panel Recovery;
7.Elliott Bay (NWS) Dredge Debris inspection;
Upcoming Missions:
-Lower Granite Dam (NWW) RSW inspection;
-Bonneville Dam Spillway Gate Inspection;
-Ft. Gibson Dam/Tenkiller Dam (SWT) periodic insp.;
-Ft. Peck Dam/ Garrison Dam/ Big Bend Dam (NWO)
periodic insp.;

19. Costs Comparison
USACE / NWP ROV Team
About
$2.5-3k
per day
ROV
Operator
ROV
plant
rental
ROV
Tender
TDY Travel
Commercial ROV Team
About
$8,000*
per day
ROV
Operator
Demob
ROV
Tender
Mob

20. APPROXIMATE NWP
COST SAVINGS TO DATE
$474,500*
(ABOUT $6,500 PER MOBILIZATION)
USACE / NWP ROV IN SERVICE SINCE 01 AUG 2010
*BASED ON COMPARISON WITH A 2012 USACE/ COMMERCIAL DIVE CO. IDIQ
CONTRACT.

24. QUESTIONS?