Review of the structural shape for aft transition ring of submarine

Submarines, which have been called an invisible force, are strategic underwater weapon systems that perform missions such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and high payoff target strikes with the advantage of underwater covertness. A submarine should be able to withstand the hydrostatic pressure of the deep sea. In this respect, the submarine pressure hull, as the main structural system to resist the external pressure corresponding to the submerged depth, should ensure the survivability from hazards and threats such as leakage, fires, shock, explosion, etc. To do this, the initial scantling of the submarine pressure hull must be calculated appropriately in the concept design phase. The shape of the aft transition ring varies according to its connection with the submarine aft end conical structure, pressure hull cylindrical part, and non-pressure hull of the submarine; the design of the aft transition ring should not only take into account stress flow and connectivity but also the cost increase due to the increased man-hours of its complex geometry. Therefore, trade-off studies based on the four different shapes of the aft transition ring are carried out considering both the review of the structural strength through nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) and economic feasibility by reviewing the estimations of the manufacturing working days and material costs. Finally, the most rational structural aft transition ring shape for a submarine amongst four reviewed types was proposed.