Safe Mating Envelope Enhancer

To address the Navy need to enhance the current submarine rescue capability to support shallow-water pressurized rescue, POC developed the Safe Mating Envelope Enhancer (SMEE) concept solution to allow rescuing a disabled submarine (DISSUB) up to 5 ata at a 100-ft depth and 0-45 degrees list. Modeling of a scalable SMEE computer-aided-design model shows that it can be articulated and conformed to different types of DISSUB hulls in a 0-45 degrees list. A test setup was fabricated to validate underwater suction cups’ performance. Test results validated their scalability for SMEE application. These results have reduced the SMEE technical risk, and scaling it up is a matter of engineering development. In Phase II, POC will develop, build, and deliver a small-scale SMEE prototype for proof-of-concept testing. This prototype will be evaluated and tested to produce empirical data verifying mating capabilities in shallow water at increased internal pressures at 0- and 45-degree lists. These results will be used to develop a Phase III plan to transition the technology for Navy production and potential commercial use.