Non-Vitriolic Concrete Submarine Thread

well I was lucky enough to attend WHOI as an undergrad and I remember all the difficulties they were having with there acrylics. It was later once I'd moved on that they ever successfully pored one. In the meantime I'd given it a lot of thought. I always did like the engineering end of things

the same mechanism they used to bolt together a single thickness sub could be used to bolt a multiple sphere system together. Its the exact same situation so might as well go with known solutions.

The valve between shells could be a simple spring pressure valve, and the individual shells would all be much thinner so a smaller pore with less likelihood of error would likely result in a significantly less expensive shell once all was told up. I think the issue was the hatch. My take would be to incorporate the hatch into the bolt ring. That way you never have to unbolt the thing.

I've no idea why WHOI nixed my design suggestion, they never got back to me but as an undergrad you pretty much get zero respect. So I wasn't surprised.

Anyway I was thinking ten shells each capable of ten atmospheres each would be capable of 3300 ft dive depth. More shells = more depth. Same valve should work no mater what the depth because the pressure different never exceeds 160lbs. Might have just ended up a pretty cheap pore with say only 1 inch thick sections.

acrylic forming is actually a pathetically simple process but it seldom turns out without some defect. Not sure how they do it now but it used to be a mold into which you put a certain % of polymethyacrylate nurdles and then pored in acrylic acid. Stuff melted into the form of the mold. Almost always had bubbles in it. I think they were experimenting with doing it in a vacuum when last I checked but really I've no clue how they do it now.

I always kinda wanted to build Cousteau's diving saucer as a kid but I'm pretty convinced I'll never be able to afford it.

 

The benefit of having a sub you can't see out of underwater ? None, unless you want to go somewhere and avoid detection doing it.

 

A carbonfiber/graphite submarine would be interesting and probably better than concrete sub. Whoever build a submarine must remember to apply lots of very good antifouling, otherwise they will spend all their free time removing barnacles and slim.

 

I must spend more time in the water - I could do with a lot more SLIM

 

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I thought I read something somewhere about the military using carbon fiber subs for something. I'll have to do a search on that one.

 

Filament wound GRP

I am suprised no one has mentioned Filament wound GRP for subs .

 

Years ago we used to toss around ideals about how we could get out of nailing all those pesky boards together to build a house.
During one of our bull sessions we came up with the ideal that structures in the future would be grown out of genetically engineered bacterial which would rapidly cover a some sort of substrate.

I offer the ideal to the public domain- bug built submarines- go forth, make your fortunes...

 

hey now, they do that with growing human ears on mouse backs.

pretty sure they also did that on star trek

nice idea though but I'd think getting the little buggers to calcify something in the correct shape would be easiest

 

Yeah but the mouse has a be a clone of your genes or you would reject the ear after transplant.

Im not a Gynecologist but Ille have a look.

 

Or train some snails build the shell.

 

It's called a shark!

-Tom

 

Tounge and groove plank,

 

I went in a submarine once in Darling Harbour in Sydney, I did'nt like it, nothing much to laugh at.

Then round the corner on the other side of the Botanical Gardens tied up to the old wool shed was a Russian submarine and it was for sale.

The fuel capacity was 10000 galls which put me off it a bit but it was the right size for a family of 4 and even had a snooker table. When I went back the next day it was sold.

 

Why'd you go back if you didn't like it Frosty?

-Tom