ASSESSMENT OF FIBER REINFORCED PLASTICS FOR COMBATANT SUBMARINE STRUCTURES

FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC COMPOSITE MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE WITH A VARIETY OF PERFORMANCE FACTORS AND MANUFACTURING METHODS. THERE ARE SEVERAL STRUCTURAL CONCEPTS THAT CAN BE UTILIZED WITH COMPOSITES. THIS PROJECT IS TO PERFORM A FEASIBILITY STUDY TO DETERMINE THE APPLICABILITY OF FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR COMBATANT SUBMARINE STRUCTURES. EXAMPLES OF STRUCTURES TO BE ANALYZED ARE THE PRESSURE HULL, HIGH PRESSURE GAS FLASKS, WEAPONS STOWAGE STRUCTURE, CONTROL SURFACES, BED PLATES, PIPE HANGARS AND NON BUILT-IN TANKS. THE SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT WILL LIMIT THE DETAIL THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED. A METHODOLOGY FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS WILL BE DEVELOPED. THE CAPABILITY OF THE COMPOSITES INDUSTRY TO DEVELOP THE STRUCTURE WILL BE ASSESSED. THE WEIGHT SAVINGS THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WILL BE ESTIMATED, AS WELL AS THE ASSOCIATED TECHNICAL RISKS FOR DEVELOPMENT. AS COMPOSITES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE RESISTANT TO CORROSION THAN METALS, THE POTENTIAL REDUCTION OF LIFE CYCLE COSTS WILL BE STUDIED.