Introduction
The 831L sonar is mounted in-front of the Blueye X3 and scans in 360 degree pattern to capture the profile of the pipe. The PipeSonarL software produce a 2D profile of a pipe or tunnel up to 12 meters in diameters. During inspection this allows your to see the ovality of the pipe, detect defects or measure sediment build up.
The DVL A50 can be combined with the PipeSonarL software to act as a cable counter, giving you the data you need to produce a 3D model of the pipe
How to install
All guest ports can be used for the Imagenex 831L Pipe Profiling Sonar, although we recommend using GP1 if available. If combined with a DVL we recommend connecting the DVL on GP2.
WARNING: Always power off the ROV before connecting or disconnecting external equipment to prevent damage, also when using the Quick Connect.
Drone preparation
1. Remove battery covers, side covers and buoyancy. See the Help Center video fro changing the tether for detailed instructions on this step.
2. Install the 831L cable to GP1 and route the cable as shown in the pictures. See the use of cable ties circled in the image.
3. Re-install the bouyancy and connect the side covers. Ensure the cable is routed out through the slit at the bottom as shown in the picture.
Installing sonar in Mounting Cradle
1. Remove two of the screws from the bottom clip of the mounting cradle.
2. Install the 831L in the mounting cradle by sliding it in from the front.
3. Push it into the cradle and orient it such that the screw in the front points upwards.
4. Re-insert the two screws to the bottom clip.
Installing skid
1. Remove battery cover from the drone.
2. Push back DVL if already installed on drone.
3. Place the skid next to the drone, and route the cables into the opening in the skid circled in the image.
4. Slide the DVL into the skid if the 831L is going to be used together with a DVL.
5. Route the 831L sonar cable through the skid. Make sure to route it up through the opening circled in the image.
6. Attach the skid to the drone using the front mounting bracket and slide it into the dow tail. Make sure the cables are not pinched.
7. Push the cradle in so that it snaps into place and locks to the skid.
8. Add a rich amount of o-ring grease to the female connector on the cable.
9. Mate the connector to the 831L sonar and lock it using the red cap.
10. Re-install the battery cover, which will lock the skid to the drone.
Removing the skid
1. Remove the battery cover from the drone.
2. Disconnect the sonar cable from the 831L.
3. Disengage the snap lock and pull the sonar cradle forward. It will snap again on top of the DVL, so just lift the snap hook once more.
4. Pull the skid back until it is free from the dow tail.
5. Remove the DVL from the skid.
6. Re-install the DVL to the dow tail of the drone.
Do not dive with the sonar cable disconnected unless you have a blind plug. There is power on the cable even if the sonar is disconnected.
How to operate the 831L Sonar
Introduction
To operate the 831L Sonar you use the PipeSonarL software from Imagenex. The software is available for Windows computers, and the computer must be connected to the Blueye Surface Unit Wi-Fi to be on the same network as the Imagenex 831L.
This Help Center article will not cover the functionality of PipeSonarL in depth. For details please refer to the official user manual from Imagenex attached at the end of this article.
The Blueye drones are configured to use IP 192.168.1.101, and the Blueye Surface Unit will assign your Windows computer an IP in the 192.168.1.0/24 range. Your 831L should be configured to use an IP address in this range. If not, you must manually assign a static IP to your computer in the same subnet as the 831L.
We also recommend reading our blog post about the 831L for more information about how it can be used together with the Blueye X3.
How to use a DVL as cable counter
If the 831L IP address is in a different subnet than the drone, you will not be able to use a DVL as cable counter in the PipeSonarL software. Your computer will not be able to communicate with the 831L and the Blueye drone at the same time as they are on different subnets.
Cable Counter Script
We have developed a small Python script you can run on the Windows computer running the PipeSonarL software.
The script uses the Blueye SDK to connect to the drone, and forward the odometer from the position estimate of the drone to PipeSonarL cable counter. This way, the PipeSonarL knows how far into a pipe the drone has travelled. This is useful to know how far into a pipe you have travelled, and also makes it possible to generate 3D point clouds using PipeSonarL.
See the Blueye SDK web page for more information about how to use this script.
User manual
Specifications
Comments
0 comments