A Novel Cutting Technique for Deep Ocean Applications

Information

• NSF Award
• 9261475

Owner

• QUEST INTEGRATED, INC.

• Award Id

  9261475

• Award Effective Date

  1/1/1993 - 32 years ago

• Award Expiration Date

  9/30/1993 - 31 years ago

• Award Amount

  $ 48,336.00

• Award Instrument

  Standard Grant

Traditional rock cutting, coring, and metal cutting methods have serious technical, environmental, and safety limitations for underwater applications. High-pressure abrasive-waterjet (AWJ) cutting is currently being demonstrated as a revolutionary technique for cutting any material at ocean depths up to 20,000 feet. This method is marginal in performance and operational reliability, however, and further improvements are not expected. This research addresses a novel concept for cutting with high- velocity abrasive particle beams. In this concept, the abrasives are directly pumped through a nozzle, rather than entrained as in an AWJ nozzle, to form a high-pressure abrasive slurry jet (ASJ). QUEST demonstrated that cutting rates (under atmospheric conditions) can be increased fivefold compared to an AWJ using this new method. In this research we will conduct a feasibility study on using ASJs for underwater cutting. A high-pressure (50,000 psi) abrasive slurry pump under development at QUEST will be used in this investigation. Parametric cutting tests will be performed on rocks and metals. Analytical studies will be used to support the experimental work. A conceptual design for an ocean floor cutting system will be prepared.

• Program Officer

  Kesh S. Narayanan

• Min Amd Letter Date

  12/22/1992 - 32 years ago

• Max Amd Letter Date

  12/22/1992 - 32 years ago

• ARRA Amount

• Name

  Quest Integrated, LLC

• City

  Kent

• State

  WA

• Country

  United States

• Address

  19823 58th Place S

• Postal Code

  980322183

• Phone Number

  2538729500

• First Name

  Mohamed

• Last Name

  Hashish

• Email Address

  mohamedh@qi2.com

• Start Date

  1/1/1993 12:00:00 AM

• Name

  Problem-Oriented

• Code

  300000

• Name

  Engineering-Mechanical

• Code

  56

• Text

  SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I

• Code

  5371

• Text

  OCEAN ENGINEERING SYSTEMS

• Code

  1472