Marine Systems
Design, Analysis, Development and Testing 

Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®) has supported the marine and offshore industries for more than 40 years. Expert staff members can provide design, analysis, and experimental or numerical modeling to achieve optimum results. SwRI's laboratories and facilities, augmented by outdoor test areas, are served by a network of computerized data acquisition and analysis equipment.

EXPERTISE

Technical Disciplines

• Marine engineering
• Ocean engineering
• Structural systems engineering
• Rapid response engineering, prototyping and simulation
• Testing and assessment
• Materials selection
• Application of advanced materials and composites to marine and subsea systems
• Corrosion protection and detection
• Operations and training

SwRI converted this deck decompression chamber from a double-lock to a triple-lock configuration and, through analysis, upgraded its rating from 900 to 1,200 feet of salt water (fsw).

Marine Systems

• Manned, unmanned, remotely operated and autonomous vehicle systems
• Surface and subsea structures and structural systems
• Manned and unmanned pressure vessels
• Deep ocean pressure vessels
• Large, full-scale and small-scale models
• Vehicle propulsion and hydrodynamics
• Power generation and transfer
• Subsea data transfer

SwRI built the Kokanee submarine, the largest unmanned sub in the world (roughly 100 feet long and 10 feet in diameter), to simulate the acoustic and hydrodynamic characteristics of the Seawolf Class attack submarine. All its structures, foundations, and control panels were designed and fabricated at SwRI.

Life Support Systems

• Closed and semi-closed circuit diving systems
• Surface-supplied diving systems
• Saturation diving systems
• Scuba diving systems
• Damage control / first responder breathing gas systems
• Hyperbaric medical treatment systems
• Thermal protection

Marine Salvage

• Marine salvage engineering
• Petroleum offloading
• Surface-supplied diving – air and mixed gas
• Saturation diving – air and mixed gas

SwRI designed, fabricated and tested the pressure hull system, support frame and lifting bridle for the US Navy’s new submarine rescue vessel, the Pressurized Rescue Module System (PRMS). To enable operation at depths of 2,000 fsw and to minimize system weight, HY-100 steel was used for the pressure hull systems. The lifting bridle was machined from a single 6AlР4V ELI (Grade 23) titanium alloy forging.

Welding and Fabrication

• SMAW, TIG, GTAW, SAW
• Low-alloy high-strength steel
• Titanium alloy (6Al-4V and 6Al-4V ELI)
• INCONEL
• Aluminum

SwRI conducted the New Alvin Deep Submersible Conceptual Development Study for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Based on the study results, the National Science Foundation has authorized WHOI to proceed with design and fabrication of the 6AlР4V ELI titanium alloy pressure hull and the vehicle ballast and trim systems.

Design Codes

• American Bureau of Shipping
• U.S. Coast Guard
• Det Norske Veritas
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• American Welding Society
• American National Standards Institute
• American Petroleum Institute
• Military Specifications

Processes and Procedures

• Quality assurance and inspection
• Engineering and design
• Failure mode effects analysis (FMEA)
• System safety and hazard analysis
• Manufacturing and fabrication
• Testing and evaluation
• Operations – systems and facilities
• Maintenance and repair – planning and performance

SwRI designed, fabricated and tested the hatch submarine rescue vessel, the Pressurized Rescue Module System (PRMS). This included successful development, prototyping, testing and qualification of the two PRMS hatch operation gearboxes.

This flyer was published in May 2007. For more information about Marine Systems, contact Benjamin K. Miller, Program Manager, Phone (210) 522-3442, or Jerry A. Henkener, Staff Engineer, Phone (210) 522-3350, Fax (210) 522-3042, Mechanical Engineering Division, Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, Texas 78228-0510.

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