June 1, 2026 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has upgraded its Ocean Simulation Laboratories with a new 30-inch diameter pressure vessel. This new vessel allows SwRI to test larger equipment at conditions that simulate full-ocean depth and features a novel SwRI-designed quick-acting closure.
Testing underwater equipment is necessary to ensure it can withstand the extreme conditions of the ocean’s depths, but conducting these tests in the ocean can be a lengthy, dangerous, and costly process. SwRI has offered deep-ocean simulation testing services to the offshore oil and gas and marine industries for more than 60 years in its 18,000 square-foot Ocean Simulation Laboratories.
SwRI has expanded its already wide-ranging testing capabilities with a new 30-inch-diameter, 15-foot-deep pressure vessel. The cutting-edge vessel can test equipment and ocean vessels at up to 16,500 psig, simulating the pressures that equipment will experience in the deepest parts of the ocean.
“This pressure vessel offers several key advantages,” said Paul Garza, who manages SwRI’s Ocean Simulation Laboratories. “While other chambers take 30 to 45 minutes to open or close, the new design slashes that time to roughly two minutes. This allows for a much quicker turnaround between tests.”
SwRI’s Kyle Robinson, a principal engineer in the Institute’s Marine Structures Group, led the pressure vessel’s design.
“We’ve seen quick-acting closures before but never for pressure vessels of this size that operate at such high pressures,” Robinson said. “The vessel design is intrinsically safe and durable. Our fatigue calculations show that it will be 20 years before it’s even necessary to inspect for cracks.”
SwRI’s vessel closure design makes misalignment, a common issue that can compromise safety, essentially impossible. The closure also has modular pass-throughs for electrical and other connections to items being tested, which makes reconfiguration, replacement, and maintenance of those parts much easier and faster.
“The size and pressure rating of this vessel sets SwRI apart, filling a technical gap in the industry,” Garza said. “SwRI is now uniquely able to test larger equipment at pressures simulating the deepest oceans.”
The SwRI vessel expands subsea battery testing for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), specifically for larger vehicles and under higher pressures. It also complements SwRI’s wide-ranging existing testing services by expanding its ability to test larger and more complex equipment for the oil and gas industry.
SwRI commissioned the pressure vessel earlier this year and successfully performed the required 26,000+ psi proof hydrotest. It was subsequently put into service and has been used for several client tests. Patents are pending.
For more information, visit Ocean Simulation Lab or contact Joanna Quintanilla, +1 210 522 2073, Communications Department, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238-5166.