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

"The overall objective of the proposed Phase I 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 andSubmergence 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 continuous drive friction process involvesthe immersion of a rotating, specially shaped hard tool into the joint region and traveling the tool in such a manner to allow the localized heating and stirring by plastic deformation of the materials. This project will require interfacing an underwaterfriction stud welding system to either an atmospheric diving system (ADS) or a remote operating vehicle (ROV). The proposed Phase I effort will include 8 separate tasks: Literature Review, Impact of Underwater Welding on Submarine Structures, Survey of One Atmosphere Diving Systems and Remote Operating Vehicles , Design of Interface, Design of Hot TapDevelopment of Phase II Plan, Development of Phase I 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 I effort will provide a foundation for the Phase II research and development effort. The Phase I effort will show the fea