Ocean Business 2015

On 14-16 April 2015 was held the conference Ocean Business 2015 (http://www.oceanbusiness.com/).
I think it is a very good opportunity to reactivate this blog about underwater instruments as there was a lot of new products exhibited.

Let's begin with a first one very interesting: SonarBell developed by SALT (Subsea Asset Location Technologies Ltd). SonarBell is the underwater acoustics equivalent of the Luneberg lenses used in radar.

Bottoming II

If you want to dig in mechanical considerations for bottoming, here is the link to a good paper:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235609338_Bottoming_of_a_submarine

Bottoming

For the first article, let's speak about an interesting capability that a new submarine could develop: bottoming.

The primary capabilities to assert in the design of a new submarine are the submarine depth ratings.

There are four depths to take into account:

1. Design depth is the nominal depth listed in the submarine's specifications.
2. Test depth is the maximum depth at which a submarine is permitted to operate under normal peacetime circumstances, and is tested during sea trials.
3. Never-exceed depth is the maximum depth at which a submarine is allowed to operate.
4. Collapse depth is the submerged depth at which a submarine's hull will collapse due to pressure. 

These depths were useful in the context of deep water submarine warfare (blue-water navy).

However, looking at he recent geopolitical tensions,  the submarine warfare is moving to coastal zones and estuaries. Submarines are becoming part of the green-water navy.

A new and interesting capability to develop for a submarine is thus the bottoming: the ability to land the submarine on the bottom of the water layer.

A submarine with such capability could wait on a zone with a compliant bathymetry and, as such, would be a real silent hunter.

A "classic" submarine is able to bottom only if the bathymetry is a homogeneous plan with a small slope.

Recently, the department of Marketing and Communications at DCNS has released a good joke about this subject on Youtube.

Here is the video. Enjoy!!

Hi!

Hi!

This blog is dedicated to underwater technologies and instruments.

I expect to keep you informed of the last products developed for the sectors of Defence and Oil&Gas.

Regards,

Cusstomizer