assume an appropriate attitude with the bottom topography and leg 

 orientation. The pads would have sufficient area to reduce bearing pressures 

 to less than 1/2 psi in currents up to 1 knot. The torque and thrust at the 

 brake drum and hinge pins amount to 17,500 ft/lb and 18,000 pounds, 

 respectively, when a single leg resists a current of 1 knot. 



Main ballast tanks would be used to provide free-board when the plant 

 is on the surface. Flooding the tanks on the surface would provide the proper 

 buoyancy for diving. The tanks could be located in the foundation area of the 

 in-situ plant. 



The use of a shaped diving weight has significant advantages. In mud 

 bottoms, the diving weight should have a small projected area to allow pene- 

 tration into the mud, and the shape should also resist pulling out once in the 

 mud. For hard bottoms, the diving weight should make use of flukes or 

 claw-like protrusions. No retrieval system is necessary for the diving weights. 



A free descent winch would be provided to control the rope length 

 between the hanging weight (diving or velocity control) and the plant. Once 

 the hanging weight is resting on the ocean bottom, the winch is used to bring 

 the plant into its operational position. 



The forced descent and ascent winch could be powered by a 

 submersible electric motor through a gear drive. The drum could be sized to 

 handle a length of rope slightly larger than the depth of operations. The 

 winch could have constant-tension, level-wind capability in each direction. 

 The entire winch and drum assembly could be considered jettisonable ballast. 



Syntactic flotation material could be utilized to achieve overall trim 

 and stability and to make components positively buoyant so that they will 

 return to the surface if jettisoned. Two types of flotation material are 

 available. The first type is capable of withstanding hydrostatic pressures up 

 to 4,500 psig and the second type can withstand pressures up to 10,000 psig. 

 Flotation material may be cast in modular blocks to facilitate buoyancy 

 distribution in the plant. The in-situ plant must be in trim and balance with 

 respect to major ballast and flotation material before it can be deployed from 

 a shore base to an operational site. 



SURFACE POWER SYSTEMS 



Surface Power Sources 



Any power plant that has unlimited access to the earth's atmosphere 

 can employ virtually any energy source and energy conversion system. 

 Economically, however, the selection is limited to the use of the hydrocarbon 



31 



