MH Systems, Corp
Completion
of the American Underpressure System (AUPS) Test Program
Final Report to the Office of Naval Research
(ONR) - 2004
The U.S. Congressional
Oil Pollution Act of 1990 allowed for the evaluation
and approval of alternatives that can be determined
to have equal or better performance than the double
hull in protecting the marine environment.
In April 2004, MH Systems completed
the final part of the test, validation and analysis
of the American Underpressure System (AUPS) under the
aegis of the Office Naval Research (ONR). This is culmination
of a decade of long work to find alternative solution(s)
to prevent or reduce catastrophic oil spills. AUPS is
an active inert gas controlled system utilizing a vacuum
technique, which drastically reduces or totally prevents
spillage from a rupture to the hull, accidentally or
from enemy action. It has been tested in full scale
on the USNS Shoshone also under contract from ONR in
2002.
The EXECUTIVE SUMMARY of the Final
Report, prepared at the completion of the comprehensive
analysis of the tests and risk-based design, is shown
herein.
