How a $2.7 Billion Submarine Was Crippled by Defective Parts

Fiscal Times ^ | 4/3/2016 | Martin Matishak

[Incorrigible]

How a $2.7 Billion Submarine Was Crippled by Defective Parts

A $2.7 billion attack submarine, the USS Minnesota, has been out of commission for more than a year because of a defective pipe joint near the ship’s nuclear-powered engine.

The defective part, which is worth about $10,000, was installed near the ship’s nuclear power plant. Engineers discovered the poorly welded steam pipe in early 2015, and ongoing repairs have led to the ship being stuck in overhaul ever since, according to Navy Times.

The submarine was considered a great success just a few years ago. It was delivered to the Navy 11 months ahead of schedule and commissioned in September 2013. But the ship has spent only a few days at sea, and its crew has been waiting for more than two years to get underway. Repairs are supposed to be completed this summer, but the process has taken so long that some of the current crew, who typically serve in three-year rotations, may never sail on it.

The Minnesota isn’t alone, either: Navy officials say two other subs have been affected by the same shoddy pipe joints, and engineers are now scouring aircraft carriers and other ships for similar problems. Justice Department investigators are gathering evidence for possible criminal charges against the contractors responsible for the work.

[blackdog]

Affirmative action welder.

[SuperLuminal]

The result of allowing welders to wear turbans instead of std helmets...

[Rockpile]

Bump # 61

Hard to believe that the repairs could take so long.

[Rockpile]

So apparently these were copper-nickel steam pipe elbows made by NuFlo in their Jacksonville, Florida plant.

[rottndog]

That is correct. Although the parts in question are welded in place to other piping, the part itself is not supposed to be welded in the manufacturing process.

Same goes for many aerospace parts....no welding allowed whatsoever, so if a part has a defect somewhere in the manufacturing process, you have to correct by some other means or scrap it.

Given that these parts are probably quite expensive, I can see the economic incentive to skirt the rules. Problem is, someone has to sign off on them at every step in the manufacturing process. Whoever did this, knew what they were doing and concealed it.

[2CAVTrooper]

They were designed to be rugged, and easily maintained in austere conditions.

Sure, their aircraft are crude by our standards but their aircraft are rough field capable and can be maintained with simple tools.

Our aircraft on the other hand need permanent fixed bases with climate controlled shelters near a beach (or major population center) with a well manicured golf course, and require special tools that can’t be found at the local True Value down the street.

[elteemike]

You are correct...I didn’t mean to imply the Thresher was lost due to a power plant failure or faulty welds...Should have been more clear...

Just saying a power plant failure from such a weld failing could doom a submarine and crew...The way my submariner buddies explain it to me a sub more or less “flies” thru the water and is dependent for thrust to move up and down (adjusting buoyancy is only part of it”...Loss of propulsion in a deep dive could be catastrophic, I’ve been told...

That’s all I was getting at, and trying to make a point people working on our subs have an unusually high degree of personal responsibility to the crews who will sail in them...Lives depend on doing it right...

[Rockpile]

The NuFlo meter division was bought by a Houston company about ten years back IIRC. Mainly oil patch sales.

The NuFlo site says they make stuff for commercial maritime and for aviation, petroleum, chemical uses.

I wonder who actually found the defective stuff originally. Maybe a blue shirt nuke snipe peon?

[catnipman]

“I bet everything in the military is like this now from nukes to rifles.”

Indeed. this kind of stuff doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The whole FedGov is probably this way given that appointment and hiring criteria are solely all about PC gender/color/race/ethnicity/LGBTXYXness, and work priorities revolve around green light bulbs and such rather than the actual missions of each agency.

[Ozark Tom]

Best guess---the non-destructive magnetic testing finds voids, cracks, and funny grain structure in steel. The acid testing removes metal at a differential rate where mixed grain structure is present, revealing likely failure points once stressed.

The manufacturing process of the elbows introduced flaws, and the repairs weren't allowable per the design specifications. Flawed parts are to be junked not repaired. Any remedies of flaws would introduce metallurgical alterations affecting longevity in the components; which, the design specs were chosen such that the components would exceed the service life of the ship.

More than 3 dozen of these components are in inventory or are installed. Time to short this company's stock!

[wbarmy]

Planes in Rostov on don were shakier than you can imagine in the late 90’s.

My wife and I took a flight from Moscow to Minsk in 1999. I thought they were using an eggbeater as an engine. I had flown many a military flight in everything conceivable over every type of terrain imaginable and was not "too" worried. Wife was new to this and was very concerned. I had to maintain the confident air for her sake. It really was a rust bucket and should not have been flying. Color scheme looked like an old 70's reject from American Airlines.

[SueRae]

That is a class 1 F@%k up, product substitution and unauthorized repair. They should be shut down and those responsible in prison.

[SueRae]

I wholeheartedly agree and appreciate the detail on where the process broke down. I don’t have a welding background but years in quality (including Material Review Board chair) and supplier quality. A supplier that pulls that kind of crap would be barred from procurement. Had one or two suppliers in my time that falsified test data that we discovered. All hell came down, from corporate on down.