Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Propane sub

[MerlinSub@t-online.de (Carsten Standfuß)]

Craig here is my answer to soome of your Emails: 

> Fortunately, you are incorrect when you say all the high grade ore left; they
> are stil reading but are not posting. 

Thats right, you have any Idear why ? 

> My tentative solution, which is palatable mainly because I do not place a
> premium on the time it takes to make configuration changes in operation, is to
> use removable props and literally go over the side to change them out.  

You ever was at sea ??  50 hours away from home ? Alone, on a wet deck
with
one hand on a propeller ? During normal offshore conditions ?   

> I anticipate launching and
> recovering unassisted and at uninproved facilities like beaches.  I place a
> premium on low trailering weight. 

On another Email you told you want to fill the ballast tanks with water
before you put 
the sub out of the water to prevent that the propane goes down the
street, right ? 
I found it difficult on most beaches and ramps  to get my small sub out
and in 
the water with the tanks complety filled with air.. Your sub with the
tanks full of 
water..

> I have identified a serious potential problem with the design as I've projected
>  it.  I also have the solution, and that problem and it's solution have enabled
>  me to solve one of the last of the really sticky design requirements.
> 
You have more than one problem..

Here is a tale for you : 

A young (or old - its doesn't matter) man build his own submarine. 
It was not quick, and it dives not deep. But it has a longe range
at a slow speed. Somebody told to the man - "hmm and  if the weather 
goes to storm ?  - and his answer was - I will look the weather forecast 
(maybe the long one for 100 hours / 4 days). This answer indicates that 
the man was also a pilot - normaly use forcast for 3 up to 6 hours 
and has never seen that on sea the weather change very quickly,
sometimes during the time of one single scuba dive. 
Than he explain his submarine idear. Blowing the tanks with propane
and use this blowing propane for the main engine. Maybe he never has
heared the term of "free surfaces"  means the big amount of losses
of stability a submarine with a surface ship hull has if the ballast 
tanks are partly filled with water and partly with gas during the 
diving and surfacing action. One main reason that most submarine blow
their 
main ballast tanks with pressure air in a short period to get a 
good surface stability in a short time. And absolut nessesary for a
submarine
going potential 100 seamiles away frome home.

I see three main problems: 

Safety at sea is : 
1.) A safety crew, 
2.) A safety vessel with saftey equipment
3.) A safety operating concept. 

to point: 
1.) no answer from me, but some of your remarks indicates 
   tjat you have maybe no expirence with the sea. 
 
2.) A gas in the ballast tanks used by the engine as fuel seems 
not a saftey submarine- especialy in a "out of fuel" situation.

3.) 200 seamiles in 100 hours at 2 knots in a about 2 feet diameter
pressure hull seems not a safety operating concept. 

If I hit one of your 20$ dollars problems - send the money to the guys
from the US-Coastguard - they rescue people at sea - if the people want
or not. 

> The problem, the solution, and the design breakthrough are all straightforward
> and follow one from the other.
> 
> I will send $20 to the first person to identify the basic problem, and $100 to
> the person who can successfully figure out all of it- the problem, the
> solution, and the breakthrough.  I have already posted text containing a direct
>  reference to the "sticky design problem" the "breakthrough" overcomes.
> 
> You guys have until noon next friday to figure this out. Let's see what this
> group can do.
> 
> Craig Wall

And Craig - during my time as pilot we say : Fly high and quick - gives
you time and security. 
Why you don't build a turbine plane which can only fly slow and at low
altitude ? 

On our yard we allways repair day by day badly dammaged vessel which
were well designed to the 
highest safety standards and operated by mens which were well expirenced
and graduate. 
 
Very best regards, Carsten and if you want to blame me, please use words
I can identfy
in my "Dictionary for Marine Technology"- and don't blame my vessels or
my country 
- or I will do the same with yours.