Month: September 2021

Alvin is on the Atlantis and we are continuing to prepare the ship for departure. Most of the shops are set up but we are still working to clear out our old bay and organize the piles of equipment, tooling, hardware, and spare parts. Though most of the work has involved cleaning rooms, carrying boxes, and hours of organizing bolts by size, the internship is still proving to be beneficial. Living and working on the ship is giving me a sense of what sea life is like, minus actually leaving the dock. I am learning how to secure everything and how to make the best use of limited space. I have been building shelves out of L-brackets and hooking up shore power and charger connections. The work is slowing down but I am still asking question and getting my hands on the sub as often as possible. I was able to work with one of the electrical techs and observe her preparing and soldering camera wiring. While she shared her knowledge of the equipment and how the circuits operate, I was able to practice soldering wires on the bench. Though they aren’t going to be installed and used on the sub, it was nice to get some more experience with the soldering iron. 

Installing the batteries into the sub is a dangerous process and one that the leads took the time to walk each of the newcomers through. We were taught the commands to use while communicating with the workers in the bat cave below Alvin and the observer on the opposite side of the sub. We were taught what to look out for while the batteries were lifted into place and safety awareness to prevent injury. Unless an issue arises, the batteries once installed should remain in place. All charging is done with the batteries installed. The biggest reason for having to remove them and the most common is if the oil leaks past the bladders. This is why during the assembly, the inspection of all the battery components, especially those bladders, is so crucial. Luckily, for now, the batteries seem to be holding their charge and no external leaks have been found. The sub is one step closer to being ready for a dive. 

Alvin was moved onto the ship this week and it was quite the fanfare. Most of the week was spent prepping Alvin to be moved so my tasks were limited and mostly involved cosmetics to make sure the sub was looking it’s best for the pictures. This meant cable management, installing j-box covers, and wiping away all the handprints and dirt marks on the skins. On the day of the move, the rental crane was up and running and the dock was filled with workers and observers. Alvin was first lifted by the overhead crane in the bay and a flatbed was reversed in below it. The entire Alvin team worked together to keep the sub ­­in position as it was moved. Once on the truck bed, the truck pulled out and positioned itself under the crane on the dock. Alvin was lifted off the truck and high into the air where it was then swung out above the ship. The deck crew on the ship were there to receive Alvin and get it set down on the tracks that are used to move it between the hanger and the a-frame. Throughout this event there were safety briefings, pictures taken, and downtime to network with some of the other WHOI employees aren’t seen very often. The ship then took off from the dock to make a small loop and redock the opposite direction so that shipping containers could be loaded onto the front. It was my first time being on the Atlantis while it was in motion, and I was impressed by how smooth and effortless the ship moved. 

Week 8 of my internship involved testing both the operation of the Frangibolt circuits as well as their actual abilities to perform. Frangibolts are used for the emergency releases on the sub. This includes the batteries, manipulator arms, science baskets, and most of the thrusters. Frangibolts are electromechanical bolts that snap off and release whatever equipment they hold onto the sub. This break would be initiated during an emergency such as a line getting caught up in a thruster and preventing the sub from resurfacing. The circuits were tested by purposefully blowing test fuses. Next, the signal was sent from a switch inside the sphere and then a countdown began to make sure the physical break of the bolt happened within a specific amount of time. Of all the operational testing, this was the coolest to see in person.

            One of my duties for the week was to install the science basket to frame and find the correct bolts and washers needed based on the drawings. The basket had seen better days and I was asked to change the orientation to keep the fresher and less damaged portion facing forward. By doing this, some of the existing mounting holes for the bolts didn’t line up. After a little drilling, I was able to realign the holes and install the correct bolts to mount the basket into place. 

            Another task this week was to install protective conduit around the fiber cables running the length of the sub. To do this, I removed the cables, wrapped them in wire loom, and rerouted them to protect them from bending and breaking the fibers. 

            The rest of my time for the week was spent continuing to move all the equipment onto the ship and help set up the workspaces. This involved more shelf hanging, building shelves out of L-brackets and filling and organizing the hold. 

            Due to the internship being land-based, housing was provided via a group rental home with me and two other members of the Alvin team. With the upcoming departure date, the lease for the house was not renewed and on the final night of August, we relocated to the ship. Though I will not be joining the team at sea, I look forward to experiencing a little bit of life onboard the Atlantis.