Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin Overhaul in Action
February 20, 2006
Watch the latest progress on the overhaul of the three-person submersible Alvin at http://alvincam.whoi.edu/view/view.shtml. The sub has been ashore in Woods Hole, Massachusetts undergoing overhaul since November and will be ready for sea trials from the research vessel Atlantis in April. Alvin dives in 2006 are scheduled in the North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, in the eastern Pacific off Costa Rica and Mexico, and along the west coast of the U.S. from California to Washington and Oregon. Please note: if the camera isn’t working when you visit the site, check back again as it is moved from time to time as work progresses.
The personnel sphere is at left, the main or forebody of the sub at right. Both are made of titanium. During the overhaul the sub is stripped to the frame, upgraded as needed and reassembled, a process that usually takes about six months. The work is done by the Alvin pilots and operations group. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)