Efficient, Cost-Effective, Low-Emissions Method to Cutting Nuclear Submarine and Aircraft Carrier Hulls

The Navy needs a metal cutting system for submarine and aircraft carrier hull disposal. We propose to develop a Hull Cutting Mill (HCM) to meet Navy needs. Our HCM uses a compact high-speed high-power hydraulic milling head to perform slot-milling and achieve a fast lineal speed cutting high-tensile steel with a man-handle-able machine. Our HCM uses environmentally friendly water for its hydraulic fluid. The cutting path of our HCM can be varied to avoid obstructions. Our HCM is automatically controlled, so our HCM produces a cut with a single command. Our HCM is made from hardened stainless-steel materials that are suitable for open-weather, salt waterfront environments. In Phase I, we will project the performance of our HCM based on similar machines we have built in related work. In Phase II, we will demonstrate the ability of a prototype HCM to meet Navy requirements for the Improved Hull Cutting Operation System. In Phase III, we will support the Navy in transitioning our HCM for Navy use, and we will supply variants of our HCM for many applications in the government and private sector.