Custom Penetrators

BIRNS Custom Penetrators

BIRNS Hull Penetrators transmit electrical power/signal through pressure hulls of human-occupied submarines and submersibles, and are custom-made to specific performance requirements.
For example, our BIRNS 4-Port Pneumatic Hull Penetrators (main image at left) each provide four independent pneumatic line penetrations in a deep-ocean research submarine.

Whether it’s transfering high-quality electronic signals in a miniaturized format with electronic braiding throughout, dual o-rings (face compression and radial/piston) to provide excellent sealing or with 8 separate RG303 50Ω coaxial channels, our hull penetrators are tailored to your specifications. Or our team of experts can design them for you, as there are a wide range of different materials available.

Our line of innovative fiber optic penetrators has a versatile design that’s tailored for the rigors of the subsea environment and can be adapted to a wide range of different cables. The line comes standard with pressure rating of 70 bar (1,000 PSI/2,300 FSW), but can be specified to higher rating, depending on the application, from ROV and AUV use, to defense submersibles and sonar arrays. These rugged penetrators are meticulously engineered to enable reliable fiber transmission through a bulkhead and are extremely durable—constructed of AISI 316 stainless steel that’s passivated per ASTM A967-05. They are rated for use up to 80°C (176°F) when fabricated with neoprene (polychloroprene) cable jackets, or up to 95°C (203°F) with optional CSPE cable jackets.

The line has extremely low insertion loss (<0.1 dB per channel), and conversely high return loss (>65 dB per channel.) Like all BIRNS penetrators, they meet or exceed ABS and DNV requirements when fabricated with Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) cables inboard, and are each individually serialized, certified and tested in accordance with BIRNS’ ABS-approved test procedure ETP-6510-101.

We also design custom penetrators with 90º outboard molding, capable of providing 100-amp power for  deep-submergence research submarines,  power penetrators that supply DC motor power, and penetrator/custom cable assembly systems that comprise a set of outboard power cable assemblies for military swimmer-delivery vehicles.