Design of a Mechanical Impacter for Testing Cable Wave Propagation

Abstract

The United States Navy wants to know the tension in oceanographic cables submerged to depths of up to 10,000 ft. Professor Noel Perkins, with the University of Michigan, has devised a method to estimate cable tension by measuring the speed at which impact-induced waves propagate through a cable. Our objective is to work with our sponsors to design and construct a mechanical impacter prototype to use with the new testing method. Additionally, the impacter must interface with a submersible robot arm. Our design will be tested on an existing cable test bed on the University of Michigan campus.