Hydraulic Pneumatic Hybrid Emergency (HYPHE) Cutter

The Navy Combat Logistics Force (CLF) has identified a need for an emergency crew-portable device capable of cutting a suspended 1-inch or greater steel cable at cargo transfer stations during Connected Underway Replenishment (CONREP). If an emergency break away is initiated, the ship's crew needs a safe, reliable and ergonomic device to cut highline cables. PSI will develop the Hydraulic Pneumatic Hybrid Emergency (HYPHE) Cutter. This novel device uses a three-stage force application system to reliably and safely cut 1 inch to 1.5 inch steel cable in under 1 second. The HYPHE Cutter is a completely self-contained system that does not rely on the ship’s utilities (e.g. hydraulics, electricity) to operate, eliminating the risk of failure due to outages. The system also has the added benefit of cutting up to three 1 inch steel cables before needing to be reloaded, mitigating the risk of a failure to fully sever the cable. The system is light weight and simple to use, only requiring a single crew member with minimal training to operate.