Crush depth

[Linton]

Have any modern submarine hulls been tested to their crush depth or is all modelling done arithmetically?

[SeaQueen]

Originally Posted by Linton

Have any modern submarine hulls been tested to their crush depth or is all modelling done arithmetically?

I'm sure at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) or some other laboratory they perform experiments to justify how far they think a submarine can safely dive.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki II]

Originally Posted by Linton

Have any modern submarine hulls been tested to their crush depth or is all modelling done arithmetically?

The test of the full submarine is done at test depth (by definition). There might be a tank test somewhere of a scale model, but for full subs it is test depth + prediction of Never Exceed and Crush.

Submarines are weak link situations, so you must test the full submarine in operational condition, not just a hulk or scale model, to ensure that pipe #97 that you just installed won't be the thing that fails 50 feet earlier than all the other parts.

And operational submarines are horribly expensive. If you weaken the steel from diving too deep, you've lost half a sub before the game even started - you don't want that. So it is dive to a very conservative depth and predict the rest.

Besides, if you took the ship down to the calculated crush depth and the ship did not suffer (much) damage, then that by definition becomes the new test depth. The old test depth might be the normal operating depth but is not the test depth any more. New estimates for Never Exceed and Crush would have to be hacked out in this situation and the sub would be rated "exceeds requirements".

[DAB]

Something I've learnt from Holywood over the years...

"Crush Depth is mearly a suggestion"

[Kapitan]

The russians use operational depth and crush depth, for the akula's operational depth is 1,800 feet but they are rated down at a crush of 2,200 feet (newer akulas)

The Vic III at one time was rated to 2,000 feet right now because of thier age they are limited to just 1,400 feet.

[Dr.Sid]

Ok Kapitan .. but HOW do they set these limits ?

[Kapitan]

I dont know fully but they do the maths first they have never explained it to me fully, and my stepfather doesnt know either.

I think they give it a margin ie well this is what we think it can go down to then test it on a model then if it does do what they think they give it a saftey margin of xxx meters