Appendix A 

 DETAILED TEST SUMMARY FOR THE CEL 20K ANCHOR 



TEST OPERATION I 



These tests constitute the first in water firings of 

 the 20K anchor. The principal concern was fluke per- 

 formance because land testing of the fluke was 

 impractical. Two tests were planned using reduced, 

 but progressively increasing, charge weights. The CEL 

 shallow-water (1 10 feet) test site was used. Tests were 

 performed from the CEL warping tug. 



Test 1 (6 Dec 72) 



Very little difficulty was encountered in handling 

 and quickly lowering the anchor to the seafloor. The 

 anchor fired upon bottom contact and embedded the 

 fluke 12-1/2 feet before keying. Penetration was 

 recorded by diver placement of a marker on the 

 down-haul cable at the point it entered the seafloor. 

 With a springline attached to the anchor, load was 

 increased in about 10-kip increments until failure 

 occurred in about 5 minutes at a load slightiy in 

 excess of 42,000 pounds. Peak gun pressures recorded 

 from copper crush gages placed in the cartridge were 

 16,500 psi and 16,000 psi. Inspection of the anchor 

 upon return to the surface revealed practically no 

 damage. The electronics in the power package were 

 undamaged, the batteries could be recharged, the 

 fluke and piston were totally reusable, and the non- 

 ordnance portion of the S/A was reusable. Considera- 

 ble difficulty was experienced in removing the S/A 

 from the breechblock after firing. This would be 

 significant in shallow water use where the anchor 

 system is recoverable. 



Test 2 (6 Dec 72) 



The anchor did not fire upon bottom contact. 

 After 30 minutes, the anchor was brought to the 

 surface and inspected. Since the S/A had not been 

 activated, the anchor was safe and could, therefore, 

 be brought on deck. The only problem that could be 

 detected was that the hydrostatic switch closed at 49 

 psi, which is greater than that required for firing at 



100 feet. The switch was tested several additional 

 times, and it closed at 30 psi each time. The switch 

 was replaced, and the anchor readied for another test. 



Test 3 (7 Dec 72) 



The anchor fired successfully upon contact with 

 the seafloor, embedding the fluke about 15 feet into 

 the dense silt bottom. Load was slowly applied, and 

 the anchor pulled out at 48,000 pounds in about 5 

 minutes. The average measured gun pressure was 

 22,300 psi; predicted pressure was 24,522 psi. This 

 difference was attributed to the temperature of the 

 propellant. Properties used in the prediction scheme 

 are determined from cartridges prewarmed to 88°F. 

 The test cartridges were stored in a cold location; 

 performance can be affected by up to 100 psi per 

 degree F. Inspection of the anchor revealed no 

 damage during firing or at pullout. 



TEST OPERATION II 



The purpose of these anchor tests was to take the 

 anchor into progressively deeper waters while 

 performing tests in soils with well-known properties. 

 This series of tests was performed from the MV Gear 

 (ARS). 



Tests 4 and 5 (6 Feb 73) 



Both tests resulted in misfires. The cause was 

 attributed to the touchdown firing assembly. 

 Apparentiy the magnetic field was being degraded in 

 deep water. The system functioned reliably on deck, 

 and, as a result, this problem could only be surmised. 

 To rectify this assumed problem, the magnetic switch 

 assembly was isolated from the steel fluke, and the 

 orientation of the magnet with respect to the switch 

 was changed to increase the strength of the magnetic 

 field. This redesign apparently worked, because the 

 system has functioned reliably in all subsequent tests. 



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