Date of Award

2022

Degree Type

Capstone Project

First Advisor

Dr. Bahram Nassersharif

Abstract

Deployment of payloads stored in water tight cylindrical bodies in underwater environmental conditions are of interest to the marine and naval community. The proposed work will investigate the possibility of using inert carbon dioxide gas compressed into its liquid state and stored under pressure to launch payloads by means of expansion from a cylindrical tube.

The purpose of the phase change payload launcher concept is to eject payloads from a submerged submarine by expansion of gas rather than combustion. Testing will include a gas that is found in earth’s atmosphere, carbon dioxide, stored in its liquid phase under high pressure. A valve will open, releasing the pressurized liquid. The liquid will expand into its gaseous phase ejecting the payload from the cylinder.

The scope of this project includes creating the design, building a prototype, and validating its usefulness as a solution. The team has designed a prototype capable of housing pressurized carbon dioxide, and firing a payload with no more than 8g of acceleration. This prototype meets all of the design specifications set forth by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC). Specific dimensions of the separate components, the pressurization of the gas, and the actuations of the operator are included. This process will be completed on a smaller scale to what will be used in industry. The concept will allow a simulation of this gas expansion powered underwater launch from a cylindrical body, with a nearly identical phase change process facilitating the energy required as would be used in a submarine application.

Comments

Team Name: Team 1, Phase Change Launchers

Sponsor: Naval Undersea Warfare Center

Sponsor Representative: Peter T. Phelps, NUWC

Document Reference: URI-MCE-402-01H-2022

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