Innova AS and Teledyne Energy System Inc. have partnered to demonstrate how hydrogen can be used for local power for subsea control systems. The demonstration took place at the Norwegian Center for Offshore Education, Tau Autonomy Center in Tau, Norway.
Teledyne’s Subsea Supercharger® is a hydrogen and oxygen fuel cell electric power source designed to operate on the ocean floor with no connection to the surface. The system is inherently load following and provides power on demand. Unlike a battery source, it can operate at full capacity in harsh and even arctic environments.
The validation test included a well intervention simulation in which the system powered a subsea hydraulic pumping unit developed by Innova. The two systems were integrated and successfully deployed to a depth of 235 meters where subsea control fluid was pumped to a pressure of 180 bar (2,600 psi) for 30 minutes, six times a day. The Subsea Supercharger® seamlessly transitioned from ‘sleep-mode’ to ‘on’ in response to power demands from the pumping unit as it repeatedly cycled on and off. The system also demonstrated ease of deployment by executing recovery and redeployment with multiple vessels and crews.
The Subsea Supercharger® is designed to be deployed to a depth of 1,000 meters, can provide up to 8 kW of steady-state power and is configurable for more than 3 MWh of energy capacity. The system is also capable of powering resident ROVs, providing energy for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) charging docks, back-up power for subsea control systems, and supports transition to green hydrogen from fossil-fuelled surface-based systems. It enables the military, oil and gas industry, and researchers to run systems and missions for long durations with minimal need for human intervention.
The next validation test will occur in the spring of 2022 and will incorporate the Subsea Supercharger® with an AUV charging dock to demonstrate untethered, long-duration AUV operations.
