MATERIALS ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES CORP. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N221-055

Description

The U.S. Navy is seeking innovative methods to reduce the susceptibility to physical damage, deformation (creep), and water permeability to extend the useful life of acoustic hoses. Nearly all hoses and modules associated with towed array systems are vulnerable to cuts, slices, and punctures from fishhooks secured to discarded monofilament longlines that often span for miles and contain thousands of sharp fishhooks. Other forms of physical damage originate from marine life (e.g., shark bites), as well as normal wear and tear from axial twisting and longitudinal vibrations while the array is deployed. If an acoustic hose wall is breached for any reason, seawater intrusion will degrade or destroy the internal ceramic hydrophones responsible for detecting faint sounds, which will in turn dramatically alter the ship’s mission profile. METSS is proposing a materials-based approach to extend the useful life of acoustic hoses, starting with low-risk strategies to augment or replace the current acoustic hose jacket materials, as well as the reinforcement fabrics and strands, which will integrate within existing manufacturing processes. All laboratory results will be validated using statistical design of experiments, among other numerical methods.