Shock and awe submariner
by Geraldine Hinter
Imagine
sitting in a huge tin can that is held in place by ropes metres under
the sea. Then a giant whacks the tin with a great big mallet, causing a
deafening blast that vibrates in surround sound and makes everything
rattle.
That is how final year UniSA student, Deb Chalk (pictured front-middle) describes her adventure as a member of the team on board a Collins Class submarine that was subjected to shock trials while submerged off Thistle Island near Port Lincoln.
What started out as work experience at ASC (formerly the Australian Submarine Corporation) in 2001 has led to opportunities never dreamed of for Deb, who completed her double degree in mechanical and manufacturing engineering and management at the end of last year.
While most of Deb’s time at ASC was spent working on business improvement in project management, during the last few months all attention was directed towards preparing for the shock trials, which involved subjecting the submarine to depth charges. The shock trials were the final part of the contract to prove that the Collins Class submarine was fully operational and could perform when placed under actual battle conditions.
The submarine, Rankin, was submerged to about 50 metres below sea level and tied to buoys. Depth charges placed around the submarine were then set off each day for about two weeks, starting with calibration tests to make sure the charges wouldn’t blow up the submarine.
“I was fortunate enough – some people may say cheeky enough – to be able to negotiate a ride on board the submarine to participate in one of the blasts,” Chalk said.
“It was an amazing experience to be on board with the crew and find out how a submarine is operated in this once in a lifetime event.”
And when the submarine was docked and tests were run to see if there was any damage, it was Deb who crawled through a one metre gap between the pressure hull and its outer casing to inspect piping. And apparently the sub withstood the blasts superbly.
You need to be an engineer to know when some things aren’t quite right, according to Deb, who said her studies at UniSA gave her the necessary skills to prepare her for these real life situations.
But there’s more to Deb’s under water adventures overseas. She was accepted as an exchange student at Strathclyde University, Glasgow, UK and landed a six months work experience placement at Babcock Naval Services, a company providing services to the British nuclear powered submarine fleet, a class that carries nuclear weapons.
“I learned quickly on my first day at work that this was going to be a very different experience as I watched with some concern the bomb disposal squad race past to disarm a WWI bomb that had popped up in the Clyde River.
I also learned that the large sign stating ’Bikini Black Special’ was not an advertisement for tonight’s entertainment but a term used to notify the current level of threat that the base was under,” Deb said with a smile.
“The opportunities and experiences that have come my way confirm that my degree choice is setting me up for a very exciting career. After graduation I will be working for ASC.
Deb was recently appointed as the National Women in Engineering Representative on the Board of the College of Mechanical Engineers and will hold this position for the next two to three years.