Ship above water Vulnerability Application (A015)

Basic methods for assessing above water attack are now available in Paramarine with a simple blast analysis. Under the guidance and sponsorship of STGSR2, the Vulnerability Reduction section within MOD's Sea Technology Group, GRC have developed with Weidlinger Associates Inc a computerised method for producing an inactivation diagram based on an internal blast algorithm. A fragmentation algorithm has also been encoded to investigate the possible spread of fragments. The aim is to produce a desktop tool that designers can use during forward design to make initial estimates of the suitability of particular layouts from a vulnerability viewpoint prior to embarking on more thorough vulnerability analysis using specialist tools and software packages.

The Paramarine structural definition allows blast failure pressures derived from trial results to be assigned to decks and bulkheads. Otherwise the plate panel thickness and aspect ratio govern the estimated failure pressure.

The inactivation diagram uses a simple logical description of the system component at compartment level , with a set of pointers to compartments in the ship to identify which compartment is affected and what effect that loss of system components within that compartment has on the system functionality. (Total loss or degradation).

GRC have been working with expert code producers to achieve an effective toolset for assessing vulnerability issues particularly for shock but also for above water weapon effects.

To this end GRC have worked with Weidlinger Associates Inc, to develop well-known methods into integrated solutions. The WAI shock codes (SRUEBEAM, SRUE and FUSE) are being integrated with Paramarine to provide underwater attack assessments. These provide proven analysis with much improved access by seamless connectivity of model to analysis. This has the added benefit of having expert domain support for the interpretation of results and for analysis consultancy. There will be at least two levels of analysis, the first as a beam and the latter as a full 3D model.

To complete the development of "forward design", a Paramarine output to QINETIQ SURVIVE has been developed on behalf of the MOD. An example of the type of output is shown graphically below.