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Blue Robotics T200 Manual

Underwater thrusters
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Introduction
The T200 and T500 are underwater thrusters designed to be rugged, powerful,
and flexible in many applications like high-power ROVs, surface vessels, AUVs,
as well as human-carrying applications like kayaks. This guide will show you
how to operate, service, and troubleshoot your T200 or T500 thruster.
Important Safety Notes
Always practice caution when you're working with electricity in water.
Keep body parts away from the thruster inlet and outlet to avoid injury. Always practice
caution with the spinning blades of the propeller.
Do not operate the thruster for more than 10 seconds outside of water (while dry). The
bearings require water for lubrication and may be damaged if the thruster is operated for an
extended period of time while dry.
Avoid sucking seaweed or other objects into the thruster to avoid damage.
Most threadlockers are not chemically compatible with polycarbonate and will damage the
thrusters if used on any of the screws. Only use a threadlocker that is chemically compatible
with polycarbonate on the mounting screws if necessary.
A clicking sound or noisy thruster is normal, especially when operated while dry. Most noise
and vibration go away once the thruster is operated in water.

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Summary of Contents for Blue Robotics T200

  • Page 1 Introduction The T200 and T500 are underwater thrusters designed to be rugged, powerful, and flexible in many applications like high-power ROVs, surface vessels, AUVs, as well as human-carrying applications like kayaks. This guide will show you how to operate, service, and troubleshoot your T200 or T500 thruster.
  • Page 2 Thruster Overview The following is some basic information to help you get familiar with the T200 and T500 thrusters. Parts of a Thruster This diagram shows the main components of a T200 or T500 thruster.
  • Page 3 Thruster Direction The front of the thruster is the side where the cable enters the nose cone. The T200 and T500 are designed to optimize thrust and efficiency when thrusting in the forward direction. The thruster is thrusting in the forward direction when water enters from the front and is expelled through the back of the nozzle.
  • Page 4 Forward Thrust: more thrust and greater efficiency...
  • Page 5 The thruster can also generate thrust in the reverse direction, although at slightly lower force and efficiency. Reverse Thrust: Less thrust and efficiency Forward and reverse thrust performance specifications are available in the T200 T500 performance charts. Propeller Direction Every thruster includes both a clockwise rotating propeller and a counterclockwise rotating propeller.
  • Page 6 direction can also be determined by viewing the thruster from the front nose cone and looking at the direction of the leading edge of the blades: A clockwise propeller will generate forward thrust when spinning in the clockwise direction. Likewise, a counterclockwise propeller will generate forward thrust when spinning counterclockwise.

  • Page 7: Operation

    Each of these components is essential to operating a thruster. The rest of these instructions apply to operating a thruster with a Blue Robotics or similar ESC, but the thrusters can also be used with other kinds of ESCs. If you are using a non-Blue Robotics ESC, you should refer to your ESC’s documentation for operation instructions.
  • Page 8 We often get the question of whether an ESC is always required, even if controlling the speed or the direction of a thruster is not desired. The answer is yes, an ESC is always required. At the core of a thruster is a brushless DC (BLDC) motor. Like any other BLDC motor, an ESC is required to energize the motor phases at the correct timing to drive the motor.

  • Page 9: Connecting To A Power Source

    Connect these three thruster wires to the three motor phase wires from the ESC. How you connect the wires is up to your preference. The wires can be soldered together or you can use connectors like bullet connectors or screw terminal blocks.
  • Page 10 7–20 V for the T200 and 7–24 V for the T500. When the ESC is connected to power you should hear three beeps in rising pitch indicating the ESC is receiving power.
  • Page 11 Pretty much anything that can output the correct PWM signal! The PWM signals used by the ESC are the same signals commonly used by RC receivers or to control servos. The following are a few examples of devices that can be used as a PWM signal source: Blue Robotics Thruster Commander...
  • Page 12 The Thruster Commander is a great way to get started using our thrusters. We recommend it for first-time users and anyone who is not sure about what signal source they should use. It’s also great for controlling thrusters on a stand-up paddle board, kayak, fishing float, etc.
  • Page 13 Simple Servo testers Probably the most simple type of signal source. Servo testers work well for testing thrusters (go figure) or as a super simple, single-input control method.
  • Page 14 Thruster Mounting The thruster nozzle has four mounting holes that can be used to securely mount the thruster. The screw hole spacing and screw size for each thruster are provided below. T200...
  • Page 15 T500 The T200 also has an optional mounting bracket for situations where it is not convenient to use the default mounting location. This bracket is not compatible with the T500 thruster.
  • Page 16 Thruster Tools Refer to the table below for tool and screw sizes. All hardware is 316 stainless steel. Thruster T200 T500 Screw Size Drive Screw Drive Size Nozzle M2.9x12 mm Phillips, flat head, self M3.9x13 screws tapping Phillips Phillips Phillips, flat head,...
  • Page 17 Changing a Propeller Every thruster includes both a clockwise rotating propeller and a counterclockwise rotating propeller. Changing the installed propeller is quick and easy. Refer to the Thruster Tools table for exact tool sizes. 1. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the four nozzle screws from the nozzle then pull the nozzle away from the rest of the thruster.
  • Page 18 2. Remove the propeller screws using a hex driver and pull the propeller off of the rotor.
  • Page 19 3. A different propeller can now be installed onto the rotor.
  • Page 20 4. Follow the directions in reverse to reassemble the thruster.
  • Page 21 Thruster Disassembly and Reassembly You may have to take apart your thruster occasionally for cleaning and maintenance. Follow the instructions below to disassemble your thruster. Refer to the Thruster Tools table above for exact tool sizes. 1. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the four nozzle screws from the nozzle then pull the nozzle away from the rest of the thruster.
  • Page 22 3. Remove the nose cone. Take notice of how the thruster cable bends and exits the nose cone on the opposite side. This is important when reassembling the thruster.
  • Page 23 4. Rotate the propeller by hand until the shaft collar set screw lines up with the notch in the stator base. Use a hex driver to loosen the set screw.
  • Page 24 5. Do not pry up on the shaft collar to remove it. Instead, pull the propeller away from the thruster core to separate it from the stator.
  • Page 25 6. Use a hex driver to remove the propeller screws.
  • Page 26 7. With the propeller screws removed, you can separate the propeller from the rotor. Your thruster is now completely disassembled.
  • Page 27 Reassembly 1. Install the propeller onto the rotor using the propeller screws and a hex driver. 2. Ensure the shaft collar is in the stator base then install the propeller and rotor onto the thruster core.
  • Page 28 Be very careful when installing the T500 rotor onto the core. The T500 magnets are very strong and the rotor will be pulled onto the stator very forcefully if not installed with caution. 3. Use a hex driver to tighten the shaft collar set screw onto the flat side of the rotor shaft.

  • Page 29: Care And Maintenance

    Care and Maintenance After Every Use ● Rinse with fresh water after use in saltwater to minimize the accumulation of salt deposits. ● Rinse with fresh water after use in sandy or sediment-heavy environments. Every Five to Ten Uses ● Inspect the inside of the rotors and remove any buildup. ●...

  • Page 30: Troubleshooting

    Troubleshooting ESC Beeps When a thruster is connected to an ESC, the ESC can use it as a “speaker” to play a series of beeps. These beeps provide information about the status of the ESC and are useful for troubleshooting. Both the Basic ESC and Basic ESC 500 have slightly different beeping patterns.
  • Page 31 3. If the initialize/stop signal (1500 µs) is detected the ESC will beep one final time indicating that it is fully initialized. If you do not hear this beep: ● It means the ESC is not receiving the correct 1500 µs signal. Check if your signal source is sending the correct 1500 µs signal.
  • Page 32 The propeller tries to move but does not spin correctly ● All three thruster wires may not be connected to the ESC motor wires correctly. Check that there is a good connection between the three ESC motor wires and the thruster wires. ●...
  • Page 33 Swap-Components Troubleshooting A great way to troubleshoot a problem is to swap components with other known-working components and observe whether the problem stays in place or moves with the component. To troubleshoot a thruster using this method you will need an different thruster and ESC set that you have confirmed is working normally.

This manual is also suitable for:

T500
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