Hydraulic Pneumatic Hybrid Emergency (HyPHE) Cutters

The Navy Combat Logistics Force (CLF) has identified a need for an emergency man portable device capable of cutting a suspended 1-inch or greater steel cable at cargo transfer stations during Connected Underway Replenishment (CONREP). If an emergency break away is initiated, the ship’s crew needs a safe, reliable and ergonomic device to cut highline cables. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes the Hydraulic Pneumatic Hybrid Emergency (HyPHE) Cutter. This novel device uses a three-stage force application system to reliably and safely cut 1 inch to 1.5 inch steel cable in under 1 second.     The HyPHE Cutter is a completely self-contained system that does not rely on the ships utilities to operate, eliminating the risk of failure do to outages. The system also has the added benefit be being capable of being able to cut up to three 1 inch steel cables before needing to be reloaded, eliminating the risk of failure due to misfire. The system is designed to be light weight and simple to use, only requiring a single crew member with minimal training to operate.