*NOTE:Drillette will not look like this picture*

In the design of drillete, the initial core sampling depth capability will be one meter. With it's multi-coring drill, it will be able to take 4 core samples at once. It's structure and makeup will be similar to the Tiburon ROV (courtesyf MBARI) under design today, but will exclude sensors and alternative sled packages. As time progresses in our research in the Edmond Vent System, research on extending the depth of our drilling capacity will also progress. The most promising idea are ten 1m segment drill cores which the ROV pieces together as it drills meter by meter. This would save on the major problem of having a 10m rod extending from the ROV and causing it to be more inefficient in terms of energy use and mobility. More than likely, the machinery involved in this process will replace the room taken up by the multicoring drill system, and make Drillete the lean, mean, 10m drilling machine it was meant to be.

Drilling requires much more power than our other vehicles need. That creates complications, because the manned vehicle cannot carry such huge battery resources, hence, a cable from the habitat is mandatory. Now, if you have not looked at the tug page yet, let me tell you, these cables are no simple business. That's why we had to come up with the Distant Drilling Station to save the day. Take a look at the link.

Basically, with the DD Station, Drillette will only need to be able to swim out to the station autonomously, then hook up to the Station to get power and human controllers to do her precision drilling. One would anticipate that taking core samples in just one vent area, the one close to the Station, is sufficent for the first 6 months of operations. If the geologists finish the analysis and find it worthwile to enact another set of excavations, they will already have the basic logistics from this project.

Technical Specifications

Depth Capability: 4000 meters (13,123 feet)
Weight:2500kg - 3500kg
Rough Power Use: ~15 kW
Uses DDS



Tools


Diamond-impregnated drill bits
Multi-coring drill
Variable buoyancy system to allow low disturbance operation at all depths and during sampling operations
Electric Thrusters
High resolution video cameras
Fiber optic telemetry (DDC)
Altimeter
Acoustic Doppler Speed Log
HMI lighting (available from Deep Sea Powerand Light)


The holes left behind by the drill can be filled in with the revolutionary equipment called corks. These are large devices that measure temperature and conduct fluid sampling on the material within the holes. they provide a long term means for measuring and recording data. Unfortunately, their current operating temperatures peak at 350 C, so they would not be used near a vent area. Hopefully, the design can be adapted to deal with larger temperatures. They can be deployed by the unmanned vehicle, Alvin.

Image courtesy of Science and Curation Services

RESOURCES
1. Drill Photo: http://www.steffeninc.com/images/hd45uw2.jpg
2. Cork photo : : Image courtesy of the Ocean Drilling Program, Science and Curation Services