The minitat fresh water supply comes from the ships water supply via one of the 

 three umbilicals. The ship has four fresh water tanks with a total capacity of 

 14,000 gallons, but no salt water conversion equipment. 



Habitat services from the vessel were furnished through three separate umbil- 

 icals lashed together. The communications umbilical consists of 7 shielded 

 pairs of 18 gauge wire and a coaxial TV cable. The fluids/gas umbilical con- 

 tains a 1/2 inch high pressure air line, a 1/2 inch low pressure air line, a 

 1/2 inch water line, and a 1/4 inch breathing gas sampling tube. The power 

 umbilical is a 4 gauge, 4 wire cable, encased in butyl rubber and fitted with 

 Viking connectors. The effective length of the umbilical is 250 feet although 

 the power umbilical itself is 320 feet long to accomodate the additional dis- 

 tance to the vessel breaker panel. 



The minitat control center (MCC) is in the electronics laboratory of the 

 UNDAUNTED located on the main deck amidships. It contains the minitat communi- 

 cations gear and gas analysis instruments. The flow control console is just 

 outside the door in the biological laboratory, as shown in figure 8. The 

 MCC serves as the watch station for the minitat watch director. 



The pressure vessel of the minitat is designed to serve as a decompression 

 facility at pressures equivalent to 165 feet of seawater. A personnel trans- 

 fer capsule (PTC) designed for operating depths of 1000 feet is located adjacent 

 to the minitat in the event emergency evacuation of the minitat is necessary. 

 The PTC is a 66" diameter sphere with on-board life support equipment, communi- 

 cations and an electric winch powered via surface connected umbilical. The PTC 

 could be lifted aboard with the ships boom and mated to a decompression chamber 

 (DDC) mounted athwartships on the support vessel. The DDC is 54" in diameter 

 and contains a 7' inner chamber and a 4' lock. It is designed for a pressure 

 equivalent to 450' of sea water. It contains four oxygen masks and an intercom 

 station. A control panel for the DDC and PTC is located adjacent to the DDC. 

 It contains all valves and pressure gauges for controlling the blowdown and 

 venting of the PTC and both chambers of the DDC. 



OPERATIONS 



The TEKTITE II minitat operations are described in three sections: transporta- 

 tion and systems tests; personnel training and shallow water trials and; site 

 selection and pre-mission trials. 



The minitat pressure vessel and other major components were transported from 

 Houston, Texas to St. Thomas on board the U. S. Coast Guard Cutter SALVIA. 

 Assembly of the minitat and surface support equipment aboard the UNDAUNTED took 

 place during May and June 1971. 



During this period all major and supporting systems were exercised and several 

 minor dificiencies were detected and corrected. Installation and component 

 testing of all support facilities on the vessel was carried out simultaneously 

 with the minitat assembly and testing. 



In late June the minitat was towed to Lameshur Bay, St. John where training and 

 shallow water trials were conducted. Principle support personnel were drawn 

 from the Highline College diver technician group. Other assigned personnel 

 consisted of Public Health Service physicians, engineers and technicians from 

 government organizations and assorted personnel from Cape Fear Technical In- 

 stitute and Southern Maine Technical Institute. Personnel training was car- 

 ried out along with the various unmanned tests of the minitat. 



III-12 



