Final Design

The final design of the sled features a flat bottomed steel sled, a plow style blade with a guard, a cable reel system with a tension brake, and a delrin cable feed system. The final design can navigate obstacles of up to 30.48 cm high and requires about 1450 N of pull force with the water jet and 2780 N without the water jet, this pull force is provided by the winch. The final design also features a water jet that is provided by a bilge pump with a 1500G/hr rating that will be attached to the front of the blade.

Figure 1. Exploded View of Final Design

Main Components of Final Design:

Sled

Functional Requirements:  

• • Must be able to ride up over obstacles up to 30.48 cm (1 ft) high

  • Must be able to transport the other components from hub to hub

  • Slide over ground without digging in

• Deflect small objects

Figure 2. Final Toboggan Sled Design

Plow Blade with Guard

Functional Requirements:  

• • Cut a trough at least 15.24 cm (6 in.) deep and 1.27 cm (0.5 in) wide in the sea floor

  • Must navigate obstacles such as rock and anchor chain

  • Entire blade must start above sediment surface and dig itself down to required depth

• Minimize pull force as well as required down force from sled

Figure 3. Final Plow Blade Design

Figure 4. Actual Final Blade

Cable Reel System

Functional Requirements:  

• • Brake adds resistance to the reel flange to prevent it from spinning too fast and create a bird’s nest of cable

  • Brake must be adjustable, so that the resistance on the flange can be changed depend on the speed of the reel

• Reel needs to be light and carry at least 30.48 m (100 ft m) of 7.62 cm (¼ in) optic cable

Figure 5. Final Cable Reel Design

Figure 6. Side View of Reel

Delrin Cable Guide System

Functional Requirements:  

• • Guide cable of approximately 0.635 cm (¼ in) diameter from cable reel into a trough depth of 15.24 cm (6 in).

  • Cable guide system must be wide enough so cable does not bind within it.

• Must be strong enough to maintain weight of sled if the sled encounters an obstacle (exact weight of the sled is not finalized).

Figure 7 and 8. Final Cable Guide Design

Final Sled

Figure 9. Side View of Final Sled

Figure 10. Side View of Bottom of Final Sled

Figure 11. Front View of Bottom of Final Sled

Figure 12. Front View of Top of Final Sled

Figure 13. Close Up of Water Pump

Figure 14. Back View of Top of Final Sled