Whether you’re designing subsea systems, modeling material behavior, or researching extreme environments, this is where physics, materials science, and real-world engineering meet. In this 49-minute masterclass, DeRegt’s R&D Manager Sander van Leeuwen reveals what truly determines the performance, safety, and lifespan of deep-sea ROV umbilicals. And how the same principles apply to any complex engineered system operating under pressure, tension, and time. Your time is precious, so first we'll share with you the key subjects that Sander will be talking about.
This isn’t just about cables. It’s about how engineering disciplines converge under real-world constraints: how physics becomes design, how models meet field data, how precision thinking keeps complex systems alive in the harshest environment on Earth. In just 49 minutes, you’ll walk away with a new appreciation for how deep-sea technology brings theory to life. And how lessons from the ocean floor apply to any field where materials, mechanics, and reliability intersect.
Learn how subtle adjustments in lay angles and directions keep kilometers of cable stable while under continuous load. This is applied geometry at its most elegant: the art of balancing torque so the system stays motionless while the world around it moves.
Discover how a strict 0.6% strain limit separates successful missions from catastrophic fatigue. And how this single number captures decades of material research in practice.
Steel delivers crush resistance and predictability; aramid brings low weight and deep-sea reach. This session dives into how material properties, hydrostatic pressure, and mechanical stress converge to shape design. From pressure-compensated terminations at 6 km depth to the microscopic fiber interactions that define failure. If you care about mechanics of materials, fatigue theory, or composite behavior, this is your kind of experiment, but one that happens 5,000 meters below the surface.
Understand how power, heat, and geometry interact in a single hybrid structure. You’ll see how finite element models, voltage drop criteria (10%), and 2.5 kV/mm stress limits ensure reliability where cooling water meets conducting copper. It’s a living example of multiphysics in action, and a reminder that even electrons feel the ocean’s pressure.
From sheave diameters and bend-over-sheave testing to vortex shedding and drag coefficients, this section brings together fluid dynamics, fatigue mechanics, and real-life operations. You’ll see how subtle design choices, like the wrong bend radius or missing strakes, can trigger vibration, heating, and early failure.
SWORD: a lightweight, aramid-based umbilical designed for agile deep-sea deployment.
Blue Nodules: a 5 km subsea mining system combining steel armor, power density optimization, and modular repairability.
Each project demonstrates how system-level thinking links electrical, mechanical, and environmental design. A true example of engineering systems integration in action.