Submarine Component Design Tool to Assess Relative Resistance to High Intensity Loading

Component acceptance by a shock Qualification by Extension (QBE) process takes advantage of the similarities between a candidate equipment item and previously qualified components to save cost, while continuing to mitigate risk attributed to high-intensity shock. WAI will develop a software tool which will facilitate the comparison of new (candidate) designs to designs that have been previously tested and successfully shock qualified, thereby making the shock QBE justification process more predictable, repeatable, and inexpensive to execute. The framework for the tool will consist of a guided QBE review process with questions/answers, and recommended comparative assessments between a candidate item and previously shock tested/qualified equipment. Candidates of different levels of complexities will be used to verify the framework, demonstrating the frameworks flexibility. One of the key objectives in this development is to identify opportunities to reduce the amount of analysis that is required to develop a high level of engineering confidence in a successful QBE. If analysis must be conducted to increase the probability of a successful QBE, the guided process will recommend which analysis (or series of analyses) will be most effective in demonstrating similarity between the candidate and equipment of similar categories and classifications that has been tested/shock qualified.