What is a Main Bell Umbilical?
In order to provide the necessary power, communication and control signals between a surface diving support vessel and a saturation diving bell, you need a cable capable of safely and reliably providing this, these are known as Main Bell Umbilicals. The umbilicals are carefully tested to ensure reliability and safety.
The Main Bell Umbilicals can comprise of the following components:
- Hydraulic Lines – for subsea tools and equipment including cutting & welding tools etc
- Electrical Wires – for lighting, power and control etc
- Fibre Optic Cables – for data transmission, video feeds, sensors and communications etc
The main bell umbilical is a complex and critical piece of equipment. It must be able to withstand the harsh subsea environment, including extreme depths and pressures. It must also be reliable and safe, as any failure could put the divers at risk.
Our main bell umbilicals are designed and engineered to meet the highest standards of reliability and safety. We use only the highest quality materials and components, and our umbilicals are rigorously tested to ensure they meet our stringent performance requirements.
We are confident that our main bell umbilicals will provide you with the performance and reliability you need to safely and effectively conduct your saturation diving operations.
What is a Saturation Diving System?
Saturation diving is a technique that allows commercial divers to work at great depths for extended periods of time. This technique is used in offshore oil and gas operations, as well as other industries where it is necessary to work underwater for long periods of time.
How saturation diving works
In saturation diving, a diving support vessel (DSV) is used to support a diving bell. The diving bell is a cylindrical chamber that is pressurized to the same pressure as the water depth at which the divers will be working. The divers live and work in the diving bell, which is connected to the DSV by a series of umbilical cables.
The umbilical cables that we manufacture, provide the divers with air, communications, power, and other essential services. They also allow the divers to be transferred to and from the seabed.
Advantages of saturation diving
There are several advantages to saturation diving. First, it eliminates the need for decompression stops between dives. This can greatly reduce the time required for diving operations.
Second, saturation diving allows the divers to stay at depth for extended periods of time. This can be important for tasks that require a lot of time and effort, such as pipeline installation and repair.
Third, saturation diving is relatively safe. The divers are able to return to the diving bell and decompress slowly over a period of several days, which minimizes the risk of decompression sickness.
Disadvantages of saturation diving
There are also some disadvantages to saturation diving, including that it is a complex and expensive technique, it also requires a high level of training and expertise from the divers.
Saturation diving can be physically and psychologically demanding for the divers as they are living and working in a confined space for extended periods of time, and they are exposed to high levels of pressure and noise.
