Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Épaulard

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Name
  
Épaulard

Owner
  
Ifremer

Height
  
2 metres

Weight
  
3 tons

Beam
  
1.1 m

Builder
  
ECA Group

Namesake
  
Killer whale

Commissioned
  
1980

Length
  
4 m

Displacement
  
3,000 kg

Range
  
20,000 m

Épaulard httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Class and type
  
remotely operated underwater vehicle

Les paulards et l observatoire venus


Épaulard is a French remotely operated underwater vehicle of the Ifremer. She is notable as the first robotic submarine capable of taking photographs at a depth of 6000 metres. Built in 1980, Épaulard was decommissioned in 1991.

Contents

sous titr e les paulards et l observatoire venus


Design

Épaulard was designed and built by ECA Group She was teleoperated from a support ship by means of acoustic signals. While the submarine herself displaced three tonnes, the entire system would use up 35m² of deckspace and weight 20 tonnes; such systems were installed on a number of Ifremer ships such as Noroît, Suroît, Atalante or Jean Charcot.

In 1983, she was upgraded with a vertical propeller and a remote TV system with acoustic broadcast of images.

Career

Starting in 1981, Épaulard was used for the study of nodules and shipwrecks on the Pacific seafloor.

She was decommissioned in 1991, having performed 200 missions.

References

Épaulard Wikipedia