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Delta Engineering SE
Mechanical and Ocean Solutions

Weight Handling Tool for Ocean Floor Penetrator (OFP)

The Weight Handling Tool was designed by the GeoAcoustics Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory. It's purpose is to add and remove 300 lb weights from a cylinder on the Ocean Floor Penetrator. There were five weight clusters for a total of about 1500 lbs. The weights ensured that the geophone on the tip of the penetrator was buried about 25 feet below the ocean floor. The penetrator geophone was used to capture sound waves that echoed from subsea geophysical formations from an external sound source. The video below is used to promote the Weight Handling Tool to potential customers.

Weight Handling Tool

The image below shows the original weight handling tool, which was crude, but worked quite well. The new design uses an actuator which moves the weight handling legs.

The original weight handling tool was designed, built and used by the GeoAcoustics division at the Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, MS.