Beluga whales are on the brink of extinction. They experienced a sharp decline since the late 1970s, with the number dropping to an estimated 300 whales or fewer remaining in Cook Inlet. This population decrease has made it one of the most endangered species in the Alaskan marine ecosystem.
Researchers in Cook Inlet monitor beluga whale vocalization and movement using specialized underwater acoustic recording instruments. These devices are designed to be deployed on the seafloor for months to capture the sounds belugas make, which help researchers understand some of the critical information on their feeding and migration patterns.
The technical problem
Since acoustic devices operate underwater, they use o-ring seals to create a watertight barrier between the external environment and sensitive internal infrastructure. Under normal conditions, these circular rubber seals act as a reliable defense to protect critical electronics.
However, the researchers faced a critical challenge when dealing with the harsh environmental conditions of Cook Inlet. The o-ring seals began to fail due to their exposure to cold water, high salinity, sediment, and pressure fluctuations. Researchers reported water leakage into several acoustic units.
Even a few drops of salt water were enough to impact the circuitry, destroy memory modules, and cause irreversible damage to the recording equipment. The cost of this failure extended beyond the loss of hardware; the entire collection of acoustic data on beluga whales was also unusable.
The engineering solution
To address the sealing problem, the research team approached Apple Rubber, a U.S. manufacturer specializing in o-rings and custom rubber seals.
Apple Rubber’s engineers collaborated with the researchers to understand the specific challenges posed by the Alaskan marine environment. This approach ensured that all important parameters were considered when developing the custom o-ring seal to withstand the conditions of Cook Inlet.
Apple Rubber leveraged their in-house mold-making capabilities for advanced prototyping, which allowed them to quickly iterate and test different designs. This accelerated the development process while ensuring the final design met all specifications.
In addition, the engineering experts in material science played a crucial role in selecting and formulating the optimal compound that could withstand extreme temperatures and harsh conditions.
Engineers began by analyzing why the original seal had failed. Over three days, the team created o-rings from two types of materials that were optimized for saltwater and low temperatures, and were resistant to sulfur outgassing.
The custom o-rings were shipped to Cook Inlet for field testing. The o-rings designed by Apple Rubber showed no signs of water leakage. The data inside the instruments was intact, demonstrating the performance of newly designed o-rings in harsh conditions. All four instruments that integrated Apple Rubber o-rings were dry and fully operational.
Beyond marine environments
Apple Rubber has extensive experience in custom engineering solutions to address complex sealing challenges that arise in various sectors, including but not limited to medical devices and aerospace applications. This adaptability shows the potential for custom sealing solutions that can meet the specific demands of diverse engineering contexts.
For more information about Apple Rubber’s manufacturing capabilities, rapid prototyping, or custom engineering, reach out to the engineers at www.applerubber.com/contact-us/.
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