Recently, China's first fully self-developed and domestically supplied submarine cable-laying robot, "Taurus," which boasts the highest power capacity in Asia, has just completed its first offshore construction task at an offshore wind farm in the waters off Xuwen County in Guangdong’s Zhanjiang City. This milestone marks a significant step forward in the operational capabilities of China's large-scale intelligent submarine work equipment.

It is reported that the offshore construction took place in waters approximately 40 kilometers off the coast of Xuwen County, at a depth of around 25 meters. The "Taurus" trencher is equipped with a deep-sea hydraulic power unit and a submersible pump that can adjust flow rate and water pressure. "Taurus" is connected to a mother ship by a single optoelectronic composite umbilical cable for power and communication, boasting a highly streamlined operational interface.

While a single sonar and ultra-short baseline system would be insufficient to accurately locate the cable, an additional sonar and a TSS pipeline detection sensor that utilizes electromagnetic induction principles are added to locate the cable quickly and precisely. Once the trencher adjusted its position on the seabed, it commenced continuous and uninterrupted trenching and cable-laying operations. The entire cable-laying process was remarkably elegant, reliable, and efficient.

The "Taurus" submarine cable-laying robot is reported to adopt a crawler-type self-propelled submarine movement mode, with a power exceeding 1,600 horsepower. It features an integrated rear-mounted high-pressure jet trenching unit, designed for a maximum operating depth of 500 meters beneath water and capable of trenching up to 5 meters in a single pass. The development process included multiple innovative designs, allowing precise control of cable burial depth and adaptive cable trajectory, which ensure quality and efficiency.

The"Taurus" incorporates eight core technologies, including overall design technology for deep-sea operation equipment, materials,and anti-corrosion technology, making it truly the "crown jewel" of marine engineering equipment. These technologies can be applied to the development of high-end deep-sea equipment, such as deep-sea work robots, submarine mining robots, underwater energy production systems, and ocean observation and mapping systems.

The completion of the "Taurus" trencher's first offshore construction task not only demonstrates China's technical prowess in the field of advanced marine engineering but also provides robust support for the development and utilization of China's marine resources. Furthermore, it offers new solutions for participants in the offshore wind power industry.

Source: Yangcheng Evening News

首秀！亚洲最大海底管缆埋设机器人“金牛座”海上施工

近日，国内首台全自主研制、全国产化供应链、亚洲功率最大的海底管缆埋设机器人＂金牛座＂，在湛江徐闻海域某风场顺利完成了首次海上施工作业任务，标志着我国大型海底智能作业装备作业能力迈上新台阶。

据了解，此次海上施工作业的地点，位于徐闻离岸40公里的海域，水深25米左右。“金牛座”挖沟机搭载深海液压动力单元和可调压力流量潜水泵，与母船只通过一根光电复合脐带缆实现电力和通信供给，作业界面极其简洁。

在只依赖单台声呐、超短基线无法准确定位电缆后，额外增加一台声呐及利用电磁感应原理的TSS管线探测传感器，快速对电缆完成精确定位，待挖沟机在海底调整好姿态后，便开始了连续无中断挖沟埋缆作业。整个埋缆过程十分平滑、稳定、高效。

据悉，“金牛座”海底管缆埋设机器人采用履带自行走式海底运动模式，功率超过1600马力，后置集成主高压射流开沟组件，设计最大适应水深500米，最大单次冲射开沟能力达到5米。研发过程中赋予了多项创新设计，能够精确控制埋缆深度、自适应缆线轨迹，确保施工质量和效率。

海底管缆埋设机器人全身上下集中了深海作业装备总体设计技术、材料与防腐技术等八大核心技术，是名副其实的海工装备“皇冠上的明珠”。这些技术可以被成熟地应用于深海工作机器人、海底采矿机器人、水下能源生产系统、海洋观察与测绘系统等几乎所有高端深海装备的开发中。

本次，“金牛座”海底挖沟机首次海上施工作业任务的顺利完成，不仅展现了中国在海洋高端工程领域的技术实力，为中国海洋资源的开发和利用提供了强有力的支持，更为海上风电产业上下游参与者提供了全新解决方案。

文｜记者 余胜容 通讯员 湛宣
图｜受访者提供
翻译｜郑圣浩