Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] VBT positioning

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

Vance, David, and Sean,

OK!  I'm back after a long day of typing reports; my head is in a fog, and
my fingertips hurt!  Now, to respond to your email:

VANCE:  (Ballast tanks; weight, displacement, etc.)  Yup!   ;-)

VANCE AND DAVID: ("Naviform")  Patent legalese for "boatlike" or "shaped
like a boat".  The cabin section of my sub's teardrop pressure hull is
shaped like a boat when seen from above. (And yes, it's surgically
correctable, but my insurance won't cover it!)

SEAN: (Describe NAUTILUS MINISUB ballast system)  Oh Gawd!  I been typing
all day at work!  But there's a description of it in the archive; and I
think it's been on the boards again within the past few months.

Basically, she's comprised of four seperate, generally rectangular tanks,
shaped like the exterior of the NAUTILUS; each of which is valved at the
extremeties, top and bottom.  The plumbing converges in a central cluster of
valves in the cockpit; and the emergency valves that are situated remotely
(like waaaay down in the tailcone) have universally-articulated stainless
steel linkage rods leading to the pilot's station, and terminating in
standard round valve handles.  Sounds complex, but it's really easy to
operate.  The purpose is to avoid situations where an extreme pitch angle
could result in ballast air taking the shortest way out,  leaving water in
the tank: (which I had happen during R&D wet-testing of simpler designs that
led up to the NAUTILUS MINISUB).

Anyway, I'll try to write more about that in the future.  But now I'm about
gassed out, and I've still got "homework" from my "real job" (more typing)
to do tonight.  Argh!

Pat