Submarine Rescue Chamber/Hold-down Installation Via Underwater Friction Stud Welding Using Atmospheric Diving Systems

The overall objective of the overall 3-phase effort is to develop a system that is capable of welding studs to a disabled submarine at depths beyond current capabilities that would allow for attachments to support a Submarine Rescue Chamber and DeepSubmergence Rescue Vehicle and provide a means for life support and gas sampling using a hot tap process. The attachments and hot tap will be made using the friction stud welding non-fusion joining process. This project provides an interface between anunderwater friction stud welding system and an atmospheric diving system (ADS). The fixtures and tooling developed can also be used by a remote operating vehicle (ROV). The proposed Phase II effort will include 9 separate tasks: Improvement of WeldingSystem, Impact on Submarine Hull Structure, Design and Manufacture of Interface and Fittings and Procurement of Supplies, Conduct of Tank Testing, Planning for Demonstration, Conduct of Deep Water Testing , Development of Phase III Plan, Development ofPhase II Report, and Project Management The proposed project will be performed by an integrated project team from B&B Engineering and Oceaneering International, Inc. The Phase II effort will provide a foundation for commercialization in Phase III andbeyond. The Phase I effort will show the feasibility of the use of friction stud welds, and will provide a test plan for demonstrating their use in Phase II. The technology has possible applications in underwater welding beyond the attachment of studsand providing for hot taps. For example, friction stir welding is being evaluated for repair of cracks in structure. The technology developed in this project will enable such repairs to be conducted at greater depths. This process has tremendouscommercial potential for application to offshore oil platform repairs that currently require saturation diving and dry chamber welding to effect. For Phase III, B&B Engineering will solicit oil companies to participate in an actual repair or operationthat would involve friction stud welding using an ADS system. If the SBIR program would be willing to match 25 percent of the funding needed for such operations, oil companies would be quick to match the other 75 percent for a project that was importantto them. Placement of anodes on an offshore structure would be one such application. Performing a bolted on clamp repair would be another example. Specifically for submarine rescue, B&B Engineering partnering with Oceaneering could provide the ADS /friction stud welding as a fly away submarine rescue option for NATO allied forces. This could be performed on a standby fee scenario.