Torpedo Anchor Installation Hydrodynamics

Abstract

The installation procedure of a torpedo anchor is the release of the torpedo from a high enough position from the sea bottom to allow the device to reach the terminal velocity. A sufficient kinetic energy at the bottom is essential for the penetration. Besides this, the anchor has to reach the bottom in an upright position to maximize the final holding power in all directions. The present work addresses two hydrodynamic aspects for the installation design and analysis. The first is the drag evaluation and the second is the directional stability. If the drag is to be kept small, then the terminal velocity should be high. The work shows that parameters like the mass and the shape are essential for this. On the other hand, the shape and mass distribution have a strong influence on the directional stability. One important parameter is the rear line length connected to the anchor. This line is necessary for further connection with the final mooring line and influences both the terminal velocity and the directional stability. The work addresses all these aspects under the light of an innovative model test setup to be performed in a deep ocean basin. This kind of model testing has been conceived specifically to attend the torpedo anchor evaluation.