While the hunt for Red October is over, a group of UW students continues to make submarines. Since 1990 a group of mechanical engineering students has entered a competition that requires knowledge from the classroom to be put to the test.

They built a flooded submarine, which is propelled and navigated by human power. The project collectively is known as the Human Propelled Submarine (HPS).

Matthew Kim, a student on the team, said that the project is a way for students to put theories to work.

“You see practicality,” he added.

Kim works on the controls systems, which steer the sub. The HPS team includes 15 people, but the size varies according to the quarter.

This year’s competition takes place July 23-27 in Escondido, Calif., at the Offshore Modeling Basin. The pool is freshwater and measures 48 feet wide by 15 feet deep. A stripe on the floor marks the center of the lane. Cameras and divers are in the pool to observe and assist with the competition.

Mechanical engineering professor Bruce Adee has been with the HPS team since its inception. “This experience is invaluable [for the students],” he said in an e-mail.

Adee noted that competition is a driving factor.

“The students don’t need to consider grades. They know and experience victory and defeat,” he said. “The competition is a way to test designs, and if they don’t work, it is clear during the contest.”

Besides that, he added, “It is also fun, and they get to meet people from all over the U.S. and around the world.”

Sometimes the students reuse portions from previous designs, building upon what worked well and what didn’t. If that is the case, then less time is devoted to building a brand new hull, for example. Students can join the team for credit, but there are also plenty of volunteers.

To receive credit, students can join the group by taking Mechanical Engineering 495 or 499. ME 495 is a senior seminar class and is required for a degree in mechanical engineering.

Construction is only part of the project. The design process involves presenting ideas and then discussing the engineering merit of each. Students submit three designs to the team, present the pros and cons of each, and then the team debates which design to use. Once a design plan is agreed upon, each student constructs his or her portion of the submarine.

The team is divided into four groups: propulsion, controls, hull and computer systems. The propulsion students design and build the pedal mechanism and the propellers and connect the assembly to the hull. The pedal system is similar to bike pedals.

The controls group is responsible for all aspects of steering the submarine. They make and mount the rudders and build the control mechanisms, which the driver uses.

Some rudders control the pitch, which is the up-and-down motion. Others control the yaw, which is side-to-side motion. This year’s controls are a combination of previous designs. It’s a cable system that should operate more smoothly, Kim said.

To propel the submarine, one person pedals, like on a bicycle. The other person navigates with the controls in the front, and the two sit back-to-back.

The submarine is flooded, which might seem a bit counterintuitive, but the two people inside are in dive gear. Kim said that you just move the water inside along with the people and submarine.

Anyone operating the submarine or in the water must be SCUBA certified. The HPS team encourages all of the members to become certified divers, which can be done through the team’s various sponsors.

Students involved with the hull fabrication build not only the hull but also the window and the emergency buoy system. The rules require that the submarine have a window, for safety: The people operating the vessel must be visible.

Mechanical engineering senior Jessica Bogh led the hull design. To fabricate the hull, layers of carbon fiber are essentially glued together and sanded smooth. This year’s hull consists of two sets of layered fiber joined together by a thin layer of foam. Carbon fiber is a woven fabric that is often used because it is lightweight and strong.

The hull should be as smooth as possible in order to prevent drag. Kim said that the idea is similar to creating something that is aerodynamic; water is just a different density.

Using molds is another way that the team constructs submarine parts. Aluminum molds are machined and then filled with resin to create portions of the controls. The hull was also built using a mold.

Another group of students is responsible for the computer system, which will collect data during the competition. While design and construction are split into four groups, each must work together to complete a functioning submarine.

“This is a large scale project where teamwork is critical,” Adee said.

Mechanical engineering senior Kevin Kelly is the team leader and has been with the team a little more than a year.

In addition to several sponsors, the mechanical engineering department supports the team.

“They support us annually with funds to allow us to compete, along with a room and supplies to work,” Kelly said.

Kim added that the team’s operating budget is about $7,000. Sponsors play a key role in keeping costs down. Many local companies donate supplies and machining services. Last year, Boeing paid to ship the submarine with a freightliner. This year Fiberlay donated composite supplies and Janicki machined some parts. The Aeronautical Testing Service was involved in the design of the current hull.

“The students make most of the components themselves in our shop,” Adee said.

Students who are on the team concurrently with the class meet every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the Mechanical Engineering Building. They also work on the submarine independently, getting projects done on the weekends and when there is spare time.

“[The HPS is] a great learning experience, building what you design,” Adee said. “We would love to win, but our goal is to make this an educational experience.”

[Reach contributing writer Katie Utehs at features@thedaily.washington.edu.]