The industry's recognized authority for design, engineering and application of equipment and services in the global ocean community
Issue link: http://sea-technology.epubxp.com/i/344822
www.sea-technology.com July 2014 / st 17 1.660540 * 10 -27 ). After the successful helium testing phase, each insert was electrically terminated by BIRNS tech- nicians certifed to J-STD-001 Class 3 Requirements for Soldered Assemblies and WHMA-A-620-A Class 3 (Require- ments and Acceptance for Cable/Har- ness Assemblies). The assemblies were then either overmolded in BIRNS's NAVSEA-PRO-20 certifed molding fa- cility or attached to the PBOF cabling, and then the complete assemblies were tested for dielectric withstanding voltage (Hi-Pot), continuity, IR and hy- drostatic pressure once again. Conclusion Phoenix's Artemis completed its mission at the end of May in the ongo- ing search efforts to locate the Malay- sian fight MH370. The connectors and custom cable assemblies performed well in the demanding, extended op- erations. Acknowledgments The author would like to thank both the teams at Bluefn Robotics and Phoenix International Holdings, Inc. for providing valuable data and images for the development of this article. n Amy Brown is the director of corporate communi- cations for BIRNS, Inc. and is responsible for devel- oping and managing a comprehensive set of strate- gic external marketing, media relations and internal communications programs. Her career in marketing began in 1998, and she has held senior marketing management roles for companies in the marine in- dustry since 2004. coupling rings, with special Higbee threads and anti-vibration locking set screws. Testing In early 2013 BIRNS technicians tested the inserts for continuity, insu- lation resistance (IR) and open-faced hydrostatic pressure, where they were held at 7,254 pounds per square inch (psi) for one 10-minute cycle. After the successful hydro testing they were given a visual examination. The insert assemblies then underwent rigorous continuity and IR testing procedures with BIRNS's automated Kikusui (Santa Clara, California) 16-channel Hi-Pot and IR testing system. The IR testing requires that all conductors be indi- vidually tested at a voltage of 500 VDC between one another. This testing, and the comparison of results to prehydro- static testing, verifed that the inserts achieved BIRNS's demanding Class A rating, i.e., that they completely with- stood open-faced hydrostatic pressure testing without any measurable deg- radation in electrical or mechanical properties. All fanged receptacle (FR) inserts then were given a helium pres- sure test, where the inserts are fastened to a custom pressure fxture, put in a special hydro tank and submerged for 10 minutes. The inboard sides were subjected to 1,000 psi of helium dur- ing the test. Helium pressure resis- tance is extremely rigorous, as helium atoms have a mass of 4u, where u is defned as an atomic mass unit (u = Night launch of Artemis—a 4,500-meter-rated AUV capable of performing ex- tensive seafoor surveys in harsh environments under immense pressures. info@edgetech.com USA 1.508.291.0057 Swath Bathymetry & Side Scan Sonar The Leader in Underwater Technology EdgeTech 6205 • Next Generation EdgeTech Bathymetric Technology • Wide Swath Coverage in Shallow Water, up to 12 Times Water Depth • Co-registered Dual Frequency Side Scan and Bathymetry with Full Nadir Coverage • New Lightweight Sonar Head • Over 200° View Angle with No Nadir Gap