Fat Line Tow Cable

The TB-16 Fat Line Array is one of the most mission-critical acoustic detection instruments used aboard submarines and is connected to the boat by means of a Lightweight Tow Cable (LWTC).The current design of the LWTC has demonstrated a propensity to buckle during deployment of the towed array by the OK-276 handling system.The failure is attributed to a lack of axial compressive strength of the cable; a performance attribute that was understated during its development.METSS proposes to address this challenge by improving the mechanical properties of the polymeric material used in the outer cable jacket of the LWTC.The basic premise is that if the stiffness (flexural strength/elastic modulus) of the outer polymer jacket material is sufficiently increased, then the resistance to buckling of the LWTC could be improved.METSS has demonstrated with both computer simulations and experimental methods that an improved axial compressive strength is feasible with these formulation efforts of the cable jacket resin.The proposed approach would preserve the investment the Navy made in the development of the LWTC, as well as the current manufacturing and procurement base, as METSS would simply seek to become an alternative materials supplier to the existing LWTC manufacturer.