SBIR-STTR Award

The overall objective of the proposed Phase I effort is to develop a system that is capable of welding studs to a disabled submarine at depths beyond current capabilities that would allow for attachments to support a Submarine Rescue Chamber and Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle and provide a means for life support and gas sampling using a hot tap process. The attachments and hot tap will be made using the friction stud welding non-fusion joining process. This continuous drive friction process involves the immersion of a rotating, specially shaped hard tool into the joint region and traveling the tool in such a manner to allow the localized heating and stirring by plastic deformation of the materials. This project will require interfacing an underwater friction stud welding system to either an atmospheric diving system (ADS) or a remote operating vehicle (ROV). The proposed Phase I effort will include 8 separate tasks: Literature Review, Impact of Underwater Welding on Submarine Structures, Survey of One Atmosphere Diving Systems and Remote Operating Vehicles , Design of Interface, Design of Hot Tap Process, Development of Phase II Plan, Development of Phase I Report, and Project Management. The proposed project will be performed by an integrated project team from B&B Engineering and Oceaneering International, Inc. Benefit The Phase I effort will provide a foundation for the Phase II research and development effort. The Phase I effort will show the feasibility of the use of friction stud welds, and will provide a test plan for demonstrating their use in Phase II. The technology has possible applications in underwater welding beyond the attachment of studs and providing for hot taps. For example, friction stir welding is being evaluated for repair of cracks in structure. The technology developed in this project will enable such repairs to be conducted at greater depths. This process has tremendous commercial potential for application to offshore oil platform repairs that currently require saturation diving and dry chamber welding to effect. For Phase III, B&B Engineering will solicit oil companies to participate in an actual repair or operation that would involve friction stud welding using an ADS system. If the SBIR program would be willing to match 25 percent of the funding needed for such operations, oil companies would be quick to match the other 75 percent for a project that was important to them. Placement of anodes on an offshore structure would be one such application. Performing a bolted on clamp repair would be another example. Specifically for submarine rescue, B&B Engineering partnering with Oceaneering could provide the ADS / friction stud welding as a fly away submarine rescue option for NATO allied forces. This could be performed on a standby fee scenario. Keywords Friction Stud Welding, Submarine Rescue, Underwater Welding

The overall objective of the overall 3-phase effort is to develop a system that is capable of welding studs to a disabled submarine at depths beyond current capabilities that would allow for attachments to support a Submarine Rescue Chamber and Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle and provide a means for life support and gas sampling using a hot tap process. The attachments and hot tap will be made using the friction stud welding non-fusion joining process. This project provides an interface between an underwater friction stud welding system and an atmospheric diving system (ADS). The fixtures and tooling developed can also be used by a remote operating vehicle (ROV). The proposed Phase II effort will include 9 separate tasks: Improvement of Welding System, Impact on Submarine Hull Structure, Design and Manufacture of Interface and Fittings and Procurement of Supplies, Conduct of Tank Testing, Planning for Demonstration, Conduct of Deep Water Testing , Development of Phase III Plan, Development of Phase II Report, and Project Management The proposed project will be performed by an integrated project team from B&B Engineering and Oceaneering International, Inc. Benefit The Phase II effort will provide a foundation for commercialization in Phase III and beyond. The Phase I effort will show the feasibility of the use of friction stud welds, and will provide a test plan for demonstrating their use in Phase II. The technology has possible applications in underwater welding beyond the attachment of studs and providing for hot taps. For example, friction stir welding is being evaluated for repair of cracks in structure. The technology developed in this project will enable such repairs to be conducted at greater depths. This process has tremendous commercial potential for application to offshore oil platform repairs that currently require saturation diving and dry chamber welding to effect. For Phase III, B&B Engineering will solicit oil companies to participate in an actual repair or operation that would involve friction stud welding using an ADS system. If the SBIR program would be willing to match 25 percent of the funding needed for such operations, oil companies would be quick to match the other 75 percent for a project that was important to them. Placement of anodes on an offshore structure would be one such application. Performing a bolted on clamp repair would be another example. Specifically for submarine rescue, B&B Engineering partnering with Oceaneering could provide the ADS / friction stud welding as a fly away submarine rescue option for NATO allied forces. This could be performed on a standby fee scenario. Keywords Underwater Welding, Stud Welding, Submarine Rescue