DockShock: System Design Considerations
Mr. John Tullai, Anteon Corporation
Mr. Christian Whitney, Anteon Corporation

Abstract:
The DockShock Research and Development Program was initiated by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to develop an environmentally acceptable and less costly alternative for conducting full ship shock tests compared to current open ocean testing using large explosive charges.  The DockShock system uses an array of electrochemical or electromechanical sources to generate a shock pulse and simulate the at-sea ship target response within a near-shore setting.  A bubble screen is employed to mitigate the pressure pulse, protecting surrounding structures and environment.  The ability of the resulting system to achieve the ship target response and environmental mitigation objectives in a highly cost-sensitive program environment is dependent upon the successful application and integration of available commercial components and technologies in conjunction with a novel design approach.

Turning an idealized concept into a working system presents significant design challenges, especially when working in the large scale required for a program such as DockShock. Arranging, aligning, and holding an array of high pressure pulse generating sources in close proximity to a large target in a near-shore environment is just the beginning. The complex and dynamic nature of the system highlights the vital role of a unifying system design approach. Further, the recurring nature of the system’s use, the large initial investment required, and the need for dramatically reduced life cycle testing cost levies additional critical design constraints.

The DockShock system design cycle responds to the four primary driving requirements.  The pulse-generating subsystem generates the loading input necessary to produce the required target response, considering the range of vessels to be tested.  This defined the major loads and space envelope for the system. Candidate implementation sites were evaluated to determine installation, implementation, and environmental constraints, addressing the move of full-ship testing from the open water environment to the near-shore environment.  This, in conjunction with the sizing demands, drove the design of the environmental mitigation subsystem, and responded directly to the requirement to reduce environmental impact and associated costs. Based upon these definitions and constraints, the required structural, mechanical, electrical, electronic, and data supporting subsystems were designed and integrated to ensure system flexibility, modularity and transportability to accommodate multiple potential locations, a wide range of target sizes, storage between test events, and low life cycle maintenance costs.

The complex tradeoffs and novel design features that resulted from the integrated design process will be presented in the context of their contributions to the final system configuration.

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