USNA News Article

U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen Intern with Naval Undersea Warfare Center

July 19, 2012

By Wendell Maciejewski
Naval Undersea Warfare Center - Newport

Did you know there are programs within the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., that can provide interns to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center? Well, there are. Code 3433, the Mechanical Systems Engineering Branch of the Electromagnetics Department, has taken advantage of this fact.

Cultivated through a working association between Code 3433 engineers and professors at the academy, a rapport has been established that allows NUWC to offer meaningful tasks to midshipmen that not only challenge their engineering skills, but provide them with insight about what the Navy is working on for future submarine development.

From May 30 through June 22 Code 3433 hosted Midshipmen 1st Class James Giesemann and Jonadel Caro, both seniors at the Naval Academy. Giesemann, who is from Starkville, Miss., chose the Naval Academy because of the large variety of service career opportunities. Caro, from Los Angeles, Calif., said her decision was in part due to sibling rivalry with her West Point brother. Both have been selected for submarine service.

Although the duration of the internship was only four weeks, the midshipmen were able to begin researching and understanding their respective projects quickly. Prior to their arrival at NUWC, they proposed research based on topics provided by the center. These proposals were vetted through NUWC engineers and USNA professors to ensure tasking that was meaningful to both the midshipmen and to NUWC. Their proposals not only included the introductory work that would be done in their four weeks on-site at NUWC, but also follow-on work completed as an independent study project for the next semester at the academy. This relationship gives NUWC access to the professors, facilities and students.

Giesemann is a Bowman Scholar, and his efforts focused on thermal management of the Advanced High Data Rate (AdvHDR) antenna program. This is a SPAWAR-sponsored, advanced submarine communications antenna with a mission to provide improved high data rate satellite communications to the submarine force with minimal speed or maneuvering restrictions. Giesemann’s efforts included the start of Fluent-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the AdvHDR antenna, capable of producing hydrodynamic and thermal results with variables such as flow velocity, sensor arrangement, and seawater temperature. The path ahead includes a plan for tow tank testing of a heated sphere in the Naval Academy tow tank to validate the CFD modeling.

Caro was assigned Imaging TDA tasking related to the Affordable Modular Panoramic Photonics Mast, or AMPPM. The mast is a revolutionary step forward in submarine imaging and represents a non-hull penetrating, non-rotating sensor which combines a small stealthy profile with instantaneous 360-degree imaging with high definition color and infrared capabilities.

The mast is an Office of Naval Research Future Naval Capability program designed to integrate advanced concepts and technologies and demonstrate this on a system level, thereby paving the way for a similar production system to enter the fleet in fiscal year 2022. Caro utilized solid models developed by the design activity to determine hydrodynamic loadings and responses of this mast when deployed underwater. Structural natural frequency, vortex shedding frequency, and mast resonance at various ship speeds were calculated, as well as the stress developed in the mast from these conditions.

This computational data package will serve as a building block for her follow-on independent study project consisting of CFD modeling as well as potential tow-tank testing of a full scale mock-up to be completed at the academy next semester.

“The intern project provides a great opportunity for the midshipmen to take all the book learning they have done at the academy and make it real,” said Cmdr. Charles H. Maher, chief staff officer, NUWC Division Newport. “This cooperative effort allows midshipmen to complete their senior engineering project while at the same time directly supporting the real-world product design efforts at Division Newport. Their projects are directly integrated in the overall product design effort and the level of the work they are doing is impressive.”

These interns were excited, enthusiastic and very interested in what we do here at NUWC. As future submariners, they are the end users who will be operating the systems we are developing. This was a very rewarding experience for both the midshipmen and for NUWC.