Deep Research Submarine
The Deep Sea Research Submarine (Figure 1) is a modified VIRGINIA Class Submarine that incorporates a permanently installed Deep Sea Operations Compartment (Figure 2). Table 1 summarizes the characteristics of the Deep Sea Research Submarine and the Deep Sea Operations Compartment. The compartment...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Technical Report |
| Language: | en_US |
| Published: |
2002
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/1770 |
| Summary: | The Deep Sea Research Submarine (Figure 1) is a modified VIRGINIA Class Submarine that incorporates a permanently installed Deep Sea Operations Compartment (Figure 2). Table 1 summarizes the characteristics of the Deep Sea Research Submarine and the Deep Sea Operations Compartment. The compartment, inserted as a 46-ft parallel midbody section, carries a heavy lift system capable of retrieving a 15-ton object (submerged weight) from depths greater than 2400 ft. A 26-ft L x 22-ft H x 12-ft W payload bay external to the pressure hull is used to house the object for transport. This payload bay also serves as a fully functioning mid-ship Main Ballast Tank. The compartment is supported by a combination of ship service and compartment-specific auxiliary systems.
Figure 1. Deep Sea Research Submarine
The compartment also contains a 16 ft diameter x 17 ft high Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Chamber outfitted with a Triton ZX ROV capable of excursions to depths of 9800 ft. The ROV Chamber permits dry access to the ROV for maintenance and mission-related tasks. The control center for the lift system and the ROV and a "mission flexible" space are located on the compartment's upper deck
Figure 2. Deep Sea Operations Compartment
Table 1. Deep Sea Research Submarine and Deep Sea Operations Compartment Principle Characteristics
Deep Sea Research Submarine
Length 423 ft
Diameter 34 ft
Draft 28 ft 5 in
Speed Reduction 11%
Surfaced Displacement 7861 lton
Submerged Displacement 8870 lton
LCG 192.06 ft
GMT 1.05 ft
Reserve Buoyancy 12.8%
Deep Sea Operations Compartment
Length 46 ft
NSC Weight 999.1 lton
Submerged Lifting Capacity 14.7 lton
Maximum ROV Depth 9800 ft
Maximum Retrieval Depth > 2400 ft
Conversion Cost 20 %
as Percentage of Baseline Virginia Cost
Estimated Conversion Cost $650 millio |
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