The high quality Scooter housing is made of
aluminium, Delrin and carbon. The nose is made of
Delrin (or POM) for good impact strength. This takes
hard knocks without lasting deformation even at low
temperatures. The back is made of aluminium for
reasons of stability and better heat dissipation. A
hard anodising improves the corrosion protection.
The tube is made of the high performance material,
carbon. This not only offers an even,
corrosion-resistant surface but is also extremely
pressure stable at low weight. Therefore Bonex can
also guarantee a diving depth of an impressive 200
m.
The housing is sealed from the nose and the
propulsion unit by redundant, radial O-rings. The
Scooter therefore remains neutrally trim
med
at any depth as the diver descends. Shallow water
leaks as with an axial seal are practically ruled
out.
The Bonex locking system is located centrally in
the nose. This dispenses with the need for housing
snap catches. It is opened and closed quickly and
reliably by releasing the central lock. Interior
ventilation compensates for pressure fluctuations.
Conventional DPVs normally use lead gel
batteries, whereby two 12V blocks are assembled in
series in a 24V unit. Although these packs are very
robust they are also very heavy and only have a
short life. Bonex Scooters operate with lithium
manganese cells. These offer a high power density
and also ensure long, trouble-free operation. A
capacity of 80% can still be calculated at 500
charging cycles. Most users will only reach this
value after many years of use. The cells have no
memory effect and a very good self-discharge rate
(less than 2%/month). They are safe in the case of
any cell defects and insensitive to long periods of
non-use.
- High efficiency
- Low noise
- Stepless speed regulation
- Encapsulated motor
- Temperature switch-off
- Speed monitor
- Power monitor
- Total discharge protection
- Torque monitor
Drive motor
Previously, DC motors were typically used as
brush or collector motors. Because of the open
sparks at the brushes these must be fully
encapsulated from the battery chamber. Brushless
drives, in this case servos, are installed
exclusively in Bonex Scooters. These also
exhibit a higher efficiency in addition to an
encapsulated design. In addition to the simple
regulation, various motor parameters
(temperature, current strength, voltage, speed,
acceleration and brake ramps) can be influenced.
The optimised settings increase the convenience
and ensure a long life of the motor. The drives
used by Bonex are designed for an industrial
useful life of at least 10,000 operating hours.
This ensures a reliable operation of the Scooter
over a long time period.
Shaft seal
The drive shaft leads from the motor to the
propeller through the housing. The water
pressure must be effectively insulated against
undesirable penetration of the inside with
simultaneous unbraked rotation of the shaft.
Bonex uses high-pressure sliding ring seals for
this. These are pressure stable and also
withstand extreme conditions (such as sand,
salt, dirt). O-rings or shaft sealing rings are
unsuitable for this application so we do not use
them.
Propeller with jet
The most sensitive functional part of the
Scooter is the propeller. Its job is to convert
the motor power into thrust as efficiently as
possible. A top class Scooter therefore features
a high efficiency which is achieved preferably
by a rigid propeller. This is optimised both in
terms of the jet and the motor speed. The
propeller can be unscrewed and screwed back on
easily underwater if a line gets tangled.
Speed regulation
The most effective form of speed change is
the rev speed regulation. Bonex Scooters
regulate the propeller revs directly by the
servo drive. The propeller speed is set by a
knob and changes the end speed of the Scooter.
These settings can also be made conveniently on
the move. This enables a diving team to adapt
quickly and easily to changing conditions.
- Main switch
- Stepless speed regulation
- Emergency drive switch
- Safe battery technology, no risk
of explosion and escaping gases
- Temperature monitor
- Boost function
- Torque switch-off
We place great value on
safety!
In order to achieve the greatest possible
safety, high quality components, effective
control mechanisms and many innovative
detailed solutions were implemented in the
function, failure and device safety.
Function safety
A directly effective main switch is
provided on all Bonex Scooters. This can be
operated at any time to switch the drive off
immediately in all diving situations. A soft
starting increases the operating safety by
preventing abrupt movement. The power supply
is increased temporarily when starting so
that more thrust is available. This boost
function can also be activated on the move
and serves for manoeuvring narrow openings
with an increased current or starting up
with heavy loads. The motor switches off
immediately if an object gets caught in the
propeller. The cause can be removed without
danger and the dive continued. This cut-off
protects both the operator and the entangled
objects as well as the drive assembly of the
Scooter.
Fail safety
All components of the Bonex Scooter are
water-tight, the electronic components have
been additionally encapsulated. The Bonex
Scooter will continue to operate even when
water penetrates. Emergency operation is
also possible by switching to a second,
autarchic control circuit.
Equipment safety
The motor parameters and the battery are
monitored to ensure sustained functioning of
the Scooter. The temperature of the drive is
also controlled in addition to the peak
performance. The drive switches off if
preset limit values are exceeded. This
function is reset and the Scooter ready for
operation again by simply switching off and
back on.
