WHAT: Deepwater Ocean Simulator
WHERE: Ocean Engineering and Structural Testing Laboratory, San Antonio
WHO: Southwest Research Institute
WHY: To simulate deep-sea environments for testing parts and equipment to be used underwater by various industries, including oil and communications. Submersible cables, valves, and pipes, for example, must be manufactured to withstand extreme water pressure. This 24-foot tank - the institute's longest - creates conditions similar to those at 13,280 feet below, or 6,000 pounds per square inch. Although SwRI has smaller simulators with ratings as high as 30,000 psi, this one allows materials to be tested at new depths.
HOW: The tank is filled with 7,000 gallons of seawater - or oil, nitrogen, or helium if exposure to salt might corrode the test object (such as an electrical cable with conductive metals inside). As pistons pressurize the chamber by 1 psi for every 2.25 feet of simulated depth, sensors monitor temperature, torque, force, and load. For a simple diagnostic test, SwRI researchers may keep the object under pressure for two 30-minute cycles, then check for damage and signs of failure. A complete stress analysis for, say, the titanium wall of a deepwater submersible would include ten 12-hour cycles and continuous monitoring by sensors attached to welds, joints, and other potential fracture points.
