Concrete submarine

does anyone remember the cargo of the last sub built in colombia

 

No, but I'll take a guess...

hmmmm...

lets see...

how about...

hallucinogenic drugs,

opium perhaps.

Just a wild guess.

Is this a trick question?

 

what can you mean, this question is as innocent as snow white

 

One would think that this is a good idea if your in the trade. But I don't think the US Navy takes the ideas of covert submarines floating around to well. Also I wonder how many of these covert submarine full of powdery stuff have been sunk by being runned over by some freighter in the middle of the night...

 

I dont agree, its like saying no one should own a large fast boat because it could be used for something illegal. Just imagine the adventures that people will have when this takes off.

 

I am not saying not to build them. I am saying they are being built and there are a dozen sunk somewhere...

 

...not any (stupid) comment deserves a reply... thanks waterchopper for trying to educate...http://concretesubmarine.com



For all forums members that are still struggeling with questions like can it be done, will it work, i recommend to check the following reading list:

http://imulead.com/tolimared/concretesubmarine/anuncios/du

that was presented 2004 and is a good sum up of floating concrete engineering status.

Now that submarine yachting is shown to be an option - and a economic one - where will this develop and lead to - any comments, dreams, future plans, suggestions, of the serious kind ?

Wil

 

Wil,

I have responded to your request for dialogue twice, once on this forum and once directly to your email address, months ago, with no response.

Perhaps you are too busy for such dialogue.

Good luck with your venture, I look forward to seeing your progress.

Tom

 

Submarine Tom,
Sorry for not responding your discussion properly - i have been really very busy so i might have missed parts of the discussion process - what was your question

Wil

 

Yacht submersible

My name is Steve Vallance, and I have been living on a sailboat since the early 1990's. I have also restored neglected sailboats.
Like many boat owners in general, I have always been interested in submarines, but I found even the most inexpensive surplus subs to be far out of my price range, and the design completely unsuitable for my needs as a live-aboard. I have no desire to set any depth records, and what I have been looking for is a submersible suitable as my home, affordable, and a way to travel beneath the waves and not on top of them.
Recently, I came upon Wil Elmer's Concrete Submarine website, www.concretesubmarine.comand I was intrigued, as this was what I was looking for. I am not a expert in concrete, an engineer, or a designer.
I am however, an experienced sailor who sees this sub as a way to accomplish what I have been dreaming about for years. After spending the past month looking at everything I could find on the subject, I am sold. In addition to that, and after many discussions with Wil, I am proud to accepted the position as the first US representative for the company. My goal is to have my own sub, and to assist Wil, as he enters the American market. I welcome any discussion and I converse daily with Wil.

 

In a submarine design, the strutural and design of the hull itself is ten percent of all the other design considerations
Good luck with your venture, but be very prudent, don't take chances, they are leathal.
By the way I love Columbia, I went several time to Cartagena, to see a customer of mine. Long long time ago when it was peaceful. Beautiful.

 

Translation - Wil has talked you into becoming part of his marketing plan on a project that hasnt even hit the water.

Were you looking for a job at the time perchance ?

They havent even got permission to take it for a small trip up the coast yet. You ought to do yourself a favour and read the discussion groups from the last 12 months, and see if you can do a better job of addressing the issues Wil tends to dismiss, especially from some of the ex submariners.

In a nutshell - IF you could find some picturesque bay where you could moor your concrete house, so you could submerge when the weather gets rough, you might have a product.

If you expect to make money, and/or even sea miles in an uninsurable balloon of concrete, you better look for another source of income.

If you are a director or agent for the product, consider your personal liabilities for the slightest incident.

 

If i am not mistaken .80% of the subs in use world wide are technically self insured. Not to mention that >50% of underwater research programs conducted by universities outside the G8 are also self insured.

But anyone planing to SELL or represent for sale any product inside the US & EU should consider the liability of the implied warrenty of safety and usability.

It's not enough to get a waiver if the person is not knolegable enough to know better!

But again that has no bearing on what takes place in 90% of the worlds oceans.

As for concrete vs steel... Come on guys. If you really are knolagable about subs you know they can both kill you just as fast.

The real questions are who did the due diligence for the PASSIVE safety. I have seen floating concrete structures take serious damage and keep floating. iI have seen steal ships slip below the waves in seconds after a collision with a sailboat!

if it were me I would design the concrete sub so that the only way it could dive was to drive itself down. If the engines stop up you go! Add in a design that will do that with 50% flooding and emergency blow tanks that automatically blow when the water hits them and you can start to talk about a design that has the feeling of inherant passive safety.

it's not the hull that makes a ship safe. it is the designer!

 

Columbian subs

Really are those subs?

They look like semisubmersibles ships to me!
Some don't even look like they have more than a 3' snorkle.

They look like they are trying to minimize their surface profile. Not run silent and run deep.

But who knows what they don't know?

 

1) I saw a patent on a device with a hydraulic multiplier that can generate several tons of force to automatically release the droppable ballast. It also included redundant hand operated hydraulic cilinders rated at 3000 psi. the 3000 psi rating and small tubing minimized the through hole fitting issue.

2) some subs use hydraulic water motors and pumps to eliminate moving through holes for control surfaces.

3) dual (redundant) proplusion motors also act as redundant steering.


NOTE: in the sub core 3 is 2, 2 is one and 1 is NONE! No life critical system should have less than two ways to achive it. preferably 2!