SEAWOLF SUBMARINE SHIP CONTROL SYSTEM : A CASE STUDY OF A FAULT- TOLERANT DESIGN

During the several decades since the previous U. S. Navy submarine design, the enhanced capabilities of computers and miniaturization of components has permitted the incorporation of more advanced control features in the same or less space than occupied by previous systems. Also during this period, fault-tolerant architectures, which typically employ coordinated redundancy to yield highly reliable and available systems, have been deployed on space platforms, aircraft, and other critical applications. The Seawolf submarine utilizes a fault-tolerant ship control system, which will be the most sophisticated ship control system deployed by a U. S. Navy submarine to date.