DEEP OCEAN ROCK SAMPLING SYSTEM FOR UNDERWATER VEHICLES BASED ON ABRASIVE WATERJET CUTTING

THERE EXISTS CONSIDERABLE SCIENTIFIC AND COMMERCIAL INTERESTIN THE GEOLOGY OF THE OCEAN FLOOR. THE U.S. NAVY'S DEEP SUBMERGENCE VEHICLE (DSV) SEA CLIFF IS A MANNED SUBMERSIBLE CAPABLE OF DIVING TO 20,000 FEET. A PORTION OF ITS ANNUAL SERVICE IS USED BY THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY FOR GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS. A DRAWBACK OF THE SEA CLIFF IS THAT IT HAS NO MEANS OF TAKING SAMPLES FROM COMPETENT ROCK SUCH AS AT SUBMERGED CLIFFS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSED WORK IS TODEVELOP A ROCK SAMPLING TOOL FOR SUBMERSIBLES, BASED ON THE ABRASIVE-WATERJET CUTTING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY FLOW. THETOOL CUTS BY ABRASIVE PARTICLES ACCELERATED WITH AN ULTRAHIGH-PRESSURE WATERJET. IT CAN CUT THROUGH ANY MATERIAL INCLUDING ROCK, STEEL, NONFERROUS METALS AND ADVANCED COMPOSITES. WHILE THIS TOOL IS INITIALLY TARGETED FOR THE SEA CLIFF, THE SYSTEM WILL BE ADAPTABLE TO OTHER UNDERWATER VEHICLES AS WELL. ONCE DEVELOPED, THE BASIC CUTTING SYSTEM CAN BE USED FOR OTHER UNDERWATER CUTTING APPLICATIONS INCLUDING SALVAGE AND RESCUE.