Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Hull design

["Captain Nemo" <vulcania@interpac.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Wade Carson" <wacarson@interchange.ubc.ca>
To: "PSUBS- mail list" <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2000 6:38 PM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Hull design


" Has anyone ever built or does anyone know anything about a high speed
laminar flow type hull (ie. the center of volume is ~10-20% aft of mid-ship.
The opposite of a tear drop shape).  I am wondering how one might overcome
the dynamic stability problems."

Hey Wade,

The pressure hull of my Nautilus is a hydrodynamically efficient teardrop:
nice laminar airfoil in the cross section, symmetrical top and bottom
surfaces, with the widest point of the camber about 25 - 30% aft of the
leading tip of the bow, and tapering back to a cone.  I thought about
turning it around and running it backwards.  I think someone in this thread
mentioned positioning the thruster forward and making a "puller" rather than
a "pusher" out of it.  I suppose that's one way to go.

Another idea I played with on paper was mounting the motor and control
surfaces well aft of the hull on a narrow (but strong) spar: like a
"stinger" in the tail. The idea was to situate the thrust and control
surfaces at a great enough "arm" aft  to provide good leverage in control,
while still keeping form drag to a minimum.  Ended up looking a little too
prone to breakage for my likes, so I scrapped the concept in favor of a more
conventional configuration.  But you asked for ideas, so I thought I'd toss
that one out on the drawing board.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your project.

VBR,

Pat