Weilai deep-sea green intelligent technology test vessel is delivered in Wuxi on July 23. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]
The Weilai deep-sea green intelligent technology test vessel was delivered in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, on July 23, after six years of research, design, and construction.
The test vessel was built by the Taihu Laboratory of Deepsea Technological Science and its Lianyungang Center, with more than 10 institutes participating in technical research and supply and CSSC Chengxi Shipyard overseeing overall assembly.
Dubbed the Mobile Ocean Laboratory and the Deep-Sea Research Flagship, the Weilai vessel has been eagerly awaited since its unveiling.
The vessel serves as the most important piece of equipment within the land-pond-lake-sea experimental research system of the Taihu Laboratory and is a pioneering platform in China for green intelligent equipment and systems.
Measuring approximately 110 meters in length, with a displacement volume of 7,000 metric tons, a maximum speed exceeding 15 knots, and a range of 10,000 nautical miles, the Weilai test vessel can navigate continuously for at least 60 days on a single mission without having to be replenished, demonstrating global navigation capabilities across boundless distances.
Compared to traditional research vessels, the Weilai vessel offers expanded functionality, wider applications, and groundbreaking advancements in modularization and intelligence. Its key innovation lies in its full-ship modular design, boasting robust system scalability and a high degree of interface commonality. This design allows for the seamless replacement and installation of various components, equipment, and systems, including power and electrical systems, deck machinery, cabin machinery, navigation radar, underwater acoustics, intelligent systems, and deep-sea equipment.
Moreover, the Weilai vessel functions as an open platform where domestic and international research teams and enterprises can collaboratively verify technologies and exchange data, thus accelerating the application of deep-sea equipment. Ye Cong, executive director of the Taihu Laboratory, believes this collaboration is pivotal in propelling the green and intelligent transformation and advancement of the shipbuilding industry.
