HIGH SPECIFIC STRENGTH/STIFFNESS METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE TORPEDO HULL SECTIONS

THIS PHASE I EFFORT WILL SHOW THE FEASIBILITY OF THE FABRICATION OF HIGH SPECIFIC STRENGTH/STIFFNESS, B(4)C REINFORCED ALUMINUM METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE (MMC) TORPEDO HULLS. CURRENT TORPEDO HULLS ARE COMPRISED OF ALUMINUM WHICH IS EITHER CAST OR FORGED INTO RELATIVELY THICK HULL SECTIONS, WHICH TEND TO CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE OVERALL TORPEDO WEIGHT. THESE TORPEDO HULLS ARE REQUIRED TO BE 21 INCHES IN EXTERNAL DIAMETER AND NO LESS THAN 19 INCHES INTERNAL DIAMETER. THEY MUST WITHSTAND THE HYDROSTATIC FORCES ENCOUNTERED DURING DEEP OPERATIONS AND DYNAMIC FORCES DEVELOPED DURING SHIPBOARD TESTING AND LAUNCHING. MMC'S OFFER HIGH STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT AND STIFFNESS-TO-WEIGHT RATIOS, USING STANDARD FABRICATION TECHNIQUES AND AS A RESULT WOULD BE PERFECT CANDIDATES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIGHT WEIGHT, STRUCTURALLY STABLE, COST EFFECTIVE HYBRID TORPEDO HULLS. THIS EFFORT PROPOSES TO USE ADVANCED MATERIALS AND NOVEL SECONDARY FABRICATION TECHNIQUES TO UPGRAD CURRENT DESIGNS. EXISTING EXTRUSION TECHNIQUES SUCH AS BACK EXTRUSION OF TUBE SECTIONS COULD BE USED EFFECTIVELY TO PRODUCE MMC TORPEDO HULLS WHICH WOULD MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF BEING COST EFFECTIVE AND BE OF REDUCED WEIGHT.