QinetiQ has carried out a fatigue and fracture mechanics assessment of NATO’s submarine rescue vehicle, part of the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS), a multinational project that delivers rescue capability primarily for the partner nations of France, Norway and the U.K. and to NATO and allied nations.

QinetiQ’s Marine Structural Analysis & Technical Services team was commissioned to conduct a structural integrity review of the submarine, including a stress-life fatigue assessment, which evaluated the welded joints of the pressure hull against the relevant design standards, and a probabilistic assessment of the likelihood of failure by fatigue. The assessment, which was accepted by Lloyds Register and the UK MOD Naval Authority, demonstrated  that  the SRV would only require visual inspections, rather than complex pressure testing,  which would have taken it out of service for six months.

“QinetiQ carried out an excellent series of studies applying their expert knowledge in metal fatigue.  They established that the hull could be subject to a visual inspection regime.  The report that QinetiQ submitted was reviewed by both Lloyds Register and the UK MOD Naval Authority who endorsed its conclusions,” observed Ben Duke, NSRS Technical Manager, MOD.

“QinetiQ are one the world’s leading providers of marine structural analysis and technical services with many years of experience.  We have worked on a wide range of surface ships and submarines, including large glass reinforced plastic (GRP) mine hunters, and submersibles such as the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS),” commented Vittorio Vagliani, Head of Structures & Survivability, QinetiQ.

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