TABLE 12.4 DETAILED SYSTEM ELEMENTS 



Safety 



Platform 



Certification requirements 

 Operator training 

 Back-up systems 

 Vehicle capability 

 Construction criteria 

 Operating Area 



Size 

 Weight 

 Configuration 

 In-air trim 



Vehicle 



Platform Behavior 

 Tests and Maintenance 

 Reliability 

 Casualty Analysis 

 Affect on Platform 



Attachment points 

 Special attachments 

 Vehicle behavior in water 

 Visibility 



Sea-keeping behavior 



Maneuverability 



Deck space 



Freeboard 



Ballasting and stability 



Manpower profiles 

 System complexity 

 Maintenance 



Personnel 



Electrical power available 

 Configuration 

 Operating personnel 

 Length, beam and draft 

 Deck reinforcement 



Insurance 

 Special training 

 Human factors in design 



tion and 10-foot ship motion (both 5.4-second 

 periods), this will create a maximum relative 

 velocity of 8 to 9 feet/second. Furthermore, 

 when the submersible is out of the water and 

 supported by the handling system, rolling, 

 pitching and heaving of the ship imparts an 

 unpredictable motion to the submersible 

 which consequently must be restrained. 



The following pages describe approaches 

 various groups have taken to surmount the 

 air-sea interface. The only method which 

 seems to avoid all compromises and offers a 

 solution to all vehicles is to launch and re- 

 trieve underwater from a support subma- 

 rine; the DSRV has done just this using the 

 attack submarine HAWKSBILL. Attack sub- 

 marines start at about $180 million. Un- 

 doubtedly privately-owned surface-oriented 

 support systems will dominate for some time 

 to come. 



Methods In Use 



Following is a brief summary of the proce- 

 dures followed during launch/retrieval with 

 the systems shown in Figures 12.11 through 

 12.13. 



Non-Articulated Boom (Fig. 12.11): Several 

 submersibles use this system; the main prob- 

 lems are overcoming pendulum motion and 

 detaching/attaching the lifting hook. The 

 STAR III .system employs a 12-ton, non-artic- 

 ulated boom for lift and three small tugging 

 winches to steady the submersible. When the 

 submersible is in the water, divers release 

 the steadying lines (4 points) and the lift 

 lines (4 points). Retrieval is more difficult 



than launch owing to diver attachment of 

 the lines on a generally rolling, pitching and 

 slippery submersible and especially when the 

 attachment of the lift bridle demands ex- 

 treme alertness on the part of the divers to 

 avoid being hit by the swinging, heavy lift 

 hook. Coordination of the four winch opera- 

 tors places an additional burden on the oper- 

 ation. At times, in moderate sea states (up to 

 3), the pendulum effect is sufficient to wrap 

 the lift hook around the boom in preparation 

 for lifting, thereby causing additional delays. 

 The submersible pilot's only function in this 

 operation is to maneuver his vehicle as near 

 to the ship as safety allows. 



Articulated Boom (Fig. 12.11): The DEEP- 

 STAR 4000 system employs a modified 

 Koehring, articulated crane with a lift capac- 

 ity of 25 tons. Because the boom end is closer 

 to the submersible there is less pendulum 

 motion. A winch operator and two man-con- 

 trolled steadying lines are involved when the 

 vehicle is in air. When placed in the water 

 (DEEPSTAR is negatively buoyant) the lift 

 hook is tripped, but the vehicle remains teth- 

 ered by a line to the ship which a diver 

 releases after perfoi-ming pre-dive checkouts 

 underwater. Retrieval involves swimming a 

 line out to the surfaced submersible and, 

 after attachment, hauling the vehicle close 

 enough to the ship to connect the lift hook. 

 Placement of the submersible in its onboard 

 cradle is expedited by a pneumatic skirt on 

 the cradle which inflates to join with the 

 vehicle. The pilot's role during the entire 

 operation is passive. 



596 



