By Douglas Denzine, NSSA Public Affairs Specialist
NORFOLK (NNS) -- Norfolk Ship Support Activity (NSSA)
provided technical support to Naval Sea Systems Command Under Water Ship
Husbandry (NAVSEA 00C5) during the successful replacement of the Controllable
Pitch Propeller (CPP) Hub aboard USS Taylor (FFG 50) in Souda Bay, Greece, Apr.
30.
Taylor suffered significant damage to its propeller blades
while underway in the Black Sea, Feb. 12. Repairs to this portion of the ship
are typically performed in dry dock, but an in-water hub change was performed
to assist the ship in meeting its mission.
"NSSA RMC Quality Assurance (QA) Department dispatched
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) technicians overseas to perform an NDT
examination of the Main Reduction Gear, to assess its capabilities after the
sustaining damages," said NSSA Hydraulics and Ship's Controls Branch Head
Richard Krewinghaus.
Inspections of the CPP system by NSSA's Hydraulics and
Ship's Controls Branch in conjunction with NSSA's QA Department and Steam and
Main Propulsion Branch, indicated that the damage was isolated to the CPP hub
and propeller blades.
"Underwater replacement of the hub created several
unforeseen challenges, which our guys had to overcome on the fly. It was a
tremendous learning experience," said Krewinghaus.
NSSA, working with NAVSEA and the original equipment
manufacturer, were given guidance during removal of the damaged hub and
installation of the replacement hub.
NSSA's dive locker also provided assistance, logging 221
dives (equating to more than 41,000 minutes of bottom time assessments and
repairs).
"NAVSEA provided our team with guidance and procedures
on the hub change out via their engineering technicians and we performed the
work as quickly as we could," said NSSA Master Diver Kelly Polk. "We
went out there to solve a problem, got in the middle of the job and we were
able to complete it. This repair hopefully set the standard for completing
waterborne hub repairs."
To aid in a quicker repair, assets were removed from a
decommissioned FFG and transported to NSSA headquarters in Norfolk where they
were disassembled, repaired, cleaned and packed for shipping.
"Within one hour of the valves' arrival in Souda Bay,
they were installed and the system was adjusted and operating properly. This
allowed the pier side portion of testing to be completed that night and the
ship was then prepared for underway testing," said Krewinghaus.
Taylor made all required preparations to get underway in
parallel with the repair effort. Underway testing included a full power run
with a hull vibration survey, and an emergency crash back - all of which the
ship successfully completed - thereby ensuring she was fully capable of resuming
her mission in support of the U.S. 6th Fleet.
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