International Submarine Races 2013 Awards
20 teams demonstrated their engineering prowess in week-long human-powered design competition. Intelligent Decisions (ID), Inc., a global IT systems integrator, congratulates Virginia Tech HPS and their vessel “Phantom 6” as the winner of the ID Innovation Award at the 12th International Submarine Races (ISR). The sponsors also recognizes the efforts of the University of Washington: HPS Team and their vessel “Wolverine 2” for their second place Innovation Award and OMER’s vessel “OMER 8” for their third place Innovation Award. ID has sponsored the races and the Innovation Award since 2011.
First Non-Military Standard, Underwater Noise
A new voluntary consensus standard for the measurement of underwater noise from ships is now available from the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The new standard will be known as ANSI/ASA S12.64-2009/Part 1, “American National Standard, Quantities and Procedures for Description and Measurement of Underwater Sound from Ships- Part 1: General Requirements”. Noise Control Engineering, Inc. of Billerica, Mass. led the effort to develop the new standard having its Vice President Michael Bahtiarian chair the committee. NCE also provided significant administrative resources to completing the effort. “We started this effort to fill a need for NCE clients designing and building quiet research vessels,” noted Chair Bahtiarian.
Carl Vinson Sailors to Test Shipboard Waste Disposal System
Fourteen USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Sailors returned from a 60-day trip to Montreal, Canada Aug. 30, where they tested, operated, maintained, and evaluated the Plasma Arc Waste Destruction System (PAWDS). PAWDS is a waste disposal tool currently being considered for shipboard use by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). The system has been under design and funded by the Navy for more than 12 years. The system can process approximately 6,800 pounds of typical Navy solid waste per day. Testing in Montreal was designed to successfully demonstrate the system's performance for an ongoing period of 60 days, in order to simulate a ship's partial deployment cycle. said Chief Machinist's Mate Ola Lassley, who led the Carl Vinson test group to Montreal.
DD(X) Program Is Back on Track
With resolution of the DD(X) bid protest, Northrop Grumman is on track to complete the DD(X) system design and associated engineering development models (EDM) by 2005. The scope and complexity of the design work, which includes development and integration of new hull and ship systems as well as advanced combat systems, is unprecedented for a U.S. Navy surface combatant. Northrop Grumman is responsible for the total ship system design, as well as development and testing of 11 EDMs. While the DD(X) system design work is proceeding, the EDMs will be built and tested in parallel for key systems such as the integrated power system (IPS), the advanced gun system (AGS) and an integrated radar suite.
