Investigation of a Sectional Faired Tow Line Modified with Restrainer Rings.

摘要

Pursuant to the Naval Ship Systems Command (NSSC) Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) Systems Sub-project S2720, Fleet Support Development Task 11309, the Naval Ship Research and Development Center (NSRDC) initiated an investigative program to improve the towing performance of the towline used with the AN/SQA-10 VDS system. The SQA-10 towline with sectional or continuous rubber fairing has been plagued with problems of kiting and fairing breakage caused by the hydrodynamic force acting on the towline during towing. A component of the hydrodynamic force acts longitudinally down the cable during towing and causes the fairing to stack progressively tighter down the cable. Often this force is large enough to cause the fairing sections to bind and/or cut into the succeeding fairing sections. This damage or binding of the fairing sections may prevent the fairing from swiveling about the cable, which may lead to the development of side forces that cause the towline to kite. One device designed by NSRDC to correct the kiting and breakage difficulties is the DTMB Mark I Cable-Fairing Restrainer. This restrainer was developed for use with rubber fairing but the ring of the Mark I Restrainer may be used with sectional fairing.