Optimized Design and Predicted Performance of a Deep Ocean 50m Piston Coring System

Calculational techniques are described which were developed or adapted for the purpose of analyzing the mechanical response of a proposed piston coring system capable of recovering high quality 50 m long cores. The analysis includes the effects of barrel geometry on the mass required to penetrate 50 m of an assumed sediment, the effects of non-vertical entry and pullout on the stresses within the barrel, and the effects of steel cable or parachute piston restraints on the resulting core sample distortion. The results show that a wall thickness of 50 mm in the upper section is necessary to survive an entry of up to 1.5° from vertical or a recovery angle of up to 5°. They also show that a mass of 15,400 kg and a pullout force of 330 kN are required. It is shown that active piston control is necessary to eliminate piston motion during penetration.