Our initial discussion revolved around solving the problems associated with designing an underwater vehicle capable of overcoming the harsh conditions of the marine environment. The main physical constraints anyone building an ROV faces include coping with the corrosive environment of seawater and considerable hydrodynamic pressure. The corrosive nature of seawater poses a constant threat to all electronic components including thrusters, which are most often exposed. While the pressure, which linearly increases with depth, can exert a tremendous force on the ROV structure and potentially compromise its integrity. There is an increase in pressure of 1 atm for every 10 m. We would like to design an ROV that would ideally withstand 10 atm, or in other words depth of 100 meters.

For these reasons, it is necessary to use pressure-resistant parts or materials, such as seals, and other engineering solutions to ensure that the ROV survives at the design depth. A series of crucial tests should be carried out before deploying the ROV to make sure vulnerable components can survive. These tests can be performed either at sea or on land in a hyperbaric test chamber. The advantages of using a hyperbaric test chamber compared to testing at sea, for example, are ease of access, testing under controlled conditions and in the comfort of the laboratory, and accurate simulation of the required pressure/depth (within design constraints of course).

One of the first tasks of our project, after the initial planning phase, was therefore to help design a hyperbaric chamber that we could use to pressure-proof components for our ROV. We have proposed a simple cylindrical chamber design enclosed with a solid flange held by 8 bolts, the design of which was discussed with Mr. Rožanec from Sirio.d.d., based in Koper. The team at Sirio d.d. helped us with improved design by adding a transparent viewport made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The team has manufactured the whole pressure chamber for us and included a standardized compressor connection, together with a safety valve at the top, as well as a pressure-resistant water drain valve at the bottom of the cylinder. The weight of an empty hyperbaric chamber is 43.2 kg, and its volume is XX l.