Leeway of Submarine Escape Rafts and Submarine Emergency Positioning Beacons

• Main Authors: Turner, Chris, Waddington, Thomas, Morris, John, Osychny, Vladimir, Luey, Pamela
• Other Authors: COAST GUARD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER GROTON CT
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: Submarine Engineering; Escape; Rescue and Survival; *SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR; *PLANNING; *LIFE RAFTS; *WIND VELOCITY; *SEARCH AND RESCUE; *BEACONS; ENVIRONMENTS; EMERGENCIES; POSITION FINDING; BUOYS; SUBMARINES; IMMERSION; INSTRUMENTATION; INTERPOLATION; METEOROLOGICAL DATA; TARGETS; COMPATIBILITY; LEEWAY; SUBMARINE RESCUE; SLDMB(SELF-LOCATING DATUM MARKER BUOYS); Canada; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA457525; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA457525

The leeway behavior of Submarine Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (SEPIRBs) and Mark-10 Submarine Escape and Immersion Equipment (SEIE) life rafts was measured for use in search and rescue planning. SEIE and SEPIRB drift targets were outfitted with position tracking equipment, and one raft was also equipped with a current profiler. The targets were deployed and tracked along with Self-Locating Datum Marker Buoys (SLDMBs) under generally heavy wind and sea conditions during fall 2005 on the Atlantic Ocean off St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. The duration of each test ranged from 24 hours to approximately 60 hours. Maximum wind speeds (5-minute averages) ranged from just under 20 knots to nearly 40 knots, with gust speeds to 43 knots. SEIE and SEPIRB leeway speeds were determined either directly from the current profiler data or indirectly using the SLDMB data. Leeway coefficients for SAR planning use were calculated using the concurrent wind data. The leeway speed of the undrogued raft was greater than that of the drogued raft. The data indicate that SEPIRB leeway is zero. The study recommends that these coefficients be incorporated into submarine survivor search planning guidance. Problems with raft performance were encountered that were attributed to the installed instrument package, instrument mounting materials incompatibility and the absence of a human passenger in the high wind and wave environment. Issues with SEPIRB operation and performance are also noted. Prepared in cooperation with Science Applications International Corp., Mystic, CT. The original document contains color images.