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.
