Теңіз астындағы зерттеуші кеме "Алвин"

Crewed deep ocean research submersible

Alvin (DSV 2) is a crewed deep ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The original vehicle was built by General Mills' Electronics Group in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Named to honor the prime mover and creative inspiration for the vehicle, Allyn Vine, Alvin was commissioned on June 5, 1964. The submersible is launched from the deep submergence support vessel RV Atlantis, which is also owned by the U. S. Navy and operated by WHOI. The submersible has made more than 5,200 dives, carrying two scientists and a pilot, observing the lifeforms that must cope with super pressures and move about in total darkness, as well as exploring the wreck of Titanic. Research conducted by Alvin has been featured in nearly 2,000 scientific papers.

Alvin was designed as a replacement for bathyscaphes and other less maneuverable oceanographic vehicles. Its more nimble design was made possible in part by the development of syntactic foam, which is buoyant and yet strong enough to serve as a structural material at great depths. The vessel weighs 17 tons. It allows for two scientists and one pilot to dive for up to nine hours at The submersible features two robotic arms and can be fitted with mission specific sampling and experimental gear. The plug hatch of the vessel is in diameter and somewhat thicker than the thick titanium sphere pressure hull; The current version of the vehicle uses releasable weights and emergency releases on jettisonable equipment. Harold E. Froehlich was one of the principal designers of Alvin.

Alvin, first of its ship class of deep submergence vehicle (DSV), was built to dive to Each of the Alvin class DSVs have different depth capabilities. However, Alvin is the only one seconded to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the others staying with the United States Navy. Alvins first deep sea tests took place off Andros Island, the Bahamas, where it made a successful 12 hour, uncrewed tethered 7500 feet (2286 m) test dive. On July 20, 1965 Alvin made its first 6000 feet (1829 m) crewed dive for the Navy to obtain certification. On July 6, 1967, the Alvin was attacked by a swordfish during dive 202. The swordfish became trapped in the Alvins skin. The attack took place at 2000 feet (610 m) below the surface. The fish was recovered at the surface and cooked for dinner. The aircraft had ditched September 30, 1944 during carrier qualifications, with the pilot surviving. Severe weather prevented the recovery of Alvin throughout late 1968, but it was photographed at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in June 1969 by a sled towed by USS Mizar. Alvin was found to be upright and appeared intact except for damage to the stern. It was decided to attempt recovery; although no object of Alvins size had ever been recovered from a depth of 5000 feet (1524 m), recovery was "deemed to be within the state of the art". In August 1969, the Aluminaut, a DSV built by Reynolds Metals Company, descended to Alvin but had trouble attaching the required lines, and side effects from Hurricane Camille were producing worsening weather, causing the team to return to Woods Hole to regroup. The second attempt started on August 27, and Aluminaut was able to secure a line and safety slings on Alvin, and wrapped a prefabricated nylon net around its hull, allowing it to be hauled up by Mizar. Alvin was towed, submerged at 40 feet (12 m), at a speed of , back to Woods Hole. The French provided submersibles Archimède and CYANA. A total of forty four dives were completed that succeeded in defining the crustal accretion zone in the floor of the rift valley.

Marine geologists using Alvin in the Pacific Ocean discovered deep sea hydrothermal vents and associated biologic communities during two expeditions to ocean spreading centers. In 1977 scientists in Alvin discovered low temperature (~20 °C) vents on the Galapagos spreading center east of those same islands. During the RISE expedition in 1979 scientists using Alvin discovered high temperature vents (380 °C) popularly known as ‘black smokers’ on the crest of the East Pacific Rise at 21° N. These discoveries revealed deep sea ecosystems that exist without sunlight and are based on chemosynthesis. A new robotic arm was added in 2006.

In June 2008 construction started on a stronger and slightly larger personnel sphere which may be used to upgrade Alvin (for use from 2011), before being used in an entirely new vehicle. The new sphere was designed, and then forged, from solid titanium ingots, in two equal halves, at Ladish Forge, Cudahy, Wisconsin, and then the 15.5 tonnes of titanium was machined and assembled, utilizing five view ports (instead of the previous three) and is designed for depths of over , where Alvins original depth limit was This, along with a general upgrade of support systems, instruments and materials, will allow Alvin to reach 98% of the ocean floor. After one last dive to assess damage to the Gulf of Mexico's seafloor after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Alvin was refitted starting January 2011, with an expected return to the ocean in 2012 and full depth potential achieved in 2014.

Starting in 2011, Alvin began an extensive rebuild that featured new cameras, lighting, and a larger titanium personnel sphere. This three and a half year effort to upgrade the vessel implemented the core infrastructure to eventually increase its depth capability from to In 2014, an extensively refitted Alvin conducted verification testing in the Gulf of Mexico, and was certified to return to service. In March and April 2014, Alvin was used to explore the site of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Starting in 2020, the second phase to upgrade Alvin for operation began; the 2014 rebuild with new, larger titanium, personnel hull and rebuilt structural frame being the first phase. In this phase, Alvin got new titanium ballast spheres, a second Schilling manipulator arm, a 4K imaging system, several new syntactic foam modules, an upgrade to the hydraulic system, and new thrusters. During 2022, Alvin successfully completed sea trials and was certified for operating down to 6500 meters.

Like most deep submergence vehicles, Alvin is normally transported on board its support vessel. It is launched shortly before a dive, and recovered after the dive, using a suitable (LARS) mounted on the support vessel. The support vessel is usually the R/V Atlantis, but several others have been used. Alvin uses four steel weights (~1.7 cubic feet of steel) to provide negative buoyancy for the trip to the ocean floor. Alvin contains a ballast and trim system, but the steel weights allow deep dives to be achieved more rapidly. These weights are jettisoned on each dive and left at the bottom.