RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Flyer

[Alec Smyth <Asmyth@changepoint.com>]

Carsten,

Great story about the comic. It sounds pretty much like Tintin stories!

There is no limit to the add-ons that one could put on a sub over time, but
for now I'm just worrying about the basics. So yes, the alpha base method
was what I had in mind. The other day the Naval Research Laboratory boat, a
"floating laboratory" for public relations purposes, docked 60 feet from my
office and I took a tour during my lunch break. They had a very interesting
360 degree camera that would make a great electronic periscope. Perhaps I
could mount it on one of the tail surfaces. But this is definitely in the
realm of far-off nice-to-haves. I don't really expect my moveable battery
will give me enough of an up-angle to see anything, but there are other
methods that might work. 

- Years ago I built a very simple open frame with two wings for being towed
in SCUBA gear. The lift on the planes was such that I could very easily
"ski" with my head above the surface, even at minimal speeds. So its
possible I might be able to lift the nose that way in this sub. 
- Another method would be to take a high speed run at the surface, like a
whale jump. 
- A third method would be to put the sub in a vertical position and just
power up the thrusters. With 150 lbs of thrust I should be able to get the
dome clear out of the water and look around.

Naturally all of the above is pure conjecture and testing will tell. 

Regarding the flood valve, if the sub is pointing up due to the drop weight
being dropped, then it should not matter where the valve is placed, the
water is going to run to the bottom of the boat and an air bubble collect in
the dome. What I would definitely put is an elbow directing it backwards,
simply because the pressure might be such I would not want to take a direct
hit! 

thanks,

- Alec

-----Original Message-----
From: MerlinSub@t-online.de [mailto:MerlinSub@t-online.de]
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2001 2:36 PM
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Flyer


Hi Alec..

Alec Smyth schrieb:
> 
> Carsten,
> 
> I had never seen Spirou or his sub... that's amazingly close! Did the sub
> have a name?

No - the called it just : the U-Boot

No.1 was never build because the Lorry with 
the material to delivery was burn down by sabotage. 

No.2 was also never final build because the
workshop was blown up by sabotage..

No.3 was secretly build and sucessful tested. 
It was later stolen.. but find later the way back
to Spirou - but the mainwaterpump for the drives
was destroyed by sabotage. Later this boat 
was destroyed by explosion (also sabotage..)

No.4 was build and tested and the only boat survived. 

No.5 was destroyed during construction by sabotage. 

No.6 has the same fate as No.5

I get the comics before starting work with Sgt.Peppers
and they give me some inspiration.  Special the prone position
and the small size. But Spirou's boat is a ambient wet boat. 

> 
> I am not planning any optical device such as a periscope.

In which way you want to navigate on the surface ? 

> 
> What diameter flood valve would you have used if you built Sgt Peppers
> again? And by the way, do you see a reason not to put this directly over
the
> operator so it could be used as a sort of snorkel? Perhaps one could
insert
> a snorkel through an open valve. I am just thinking of an emergency
> situation, for example being adrift on the surface for an extended period,
> no communications or power, out of O2 or scrubber gone, etc.

I have exact this done. A flood vale (1 inch) on top with a rubber pipe
snorckel 
part inside and a very short extension outside. So I can brease on the
surface - 
to save oxygen and CO2 absorber run time and flood the boat on the
bottom if nessesary and let still the compressed air in. But maybe for a
flood vale a little to small - 1,5 to 2 inch would be better - flooding
time is a important factor in deeps greater 90 feet.. 

I just thinking that you will first drop your dropweight container
and for the reason of the graphity center after drop - a flood vale 
on the stern endcap make some sence. You can flood the boat - and leave 
after ambient pressure in the boat with the dome over your head as dry
bubble. 

The orignial idear of Sgt.Peppers was quite simillar - using the 
battery to trim the dome over the surface - secure the boats bow on the 
kai and go in and out this way. But was to expensive - so I did'nt build
the
moving trim battery .. But you can do the same with the snorckel vale 
- and a rubber pipe extension - maybe the better way because no need 
for a remote controlled - or foot controlled valve. 

> 
> By "beam lights" are you refering to searchlights that you can point, such
> as the ones on police cars in the US? I was just envisioning a fixed light
> on the end of the drop weight. I actually thought it would be good to
avoid
> a very strong light going through the acrylic of the main dome, because of
> potential problems with heat and reflections. But would you say its a
> necessity for a light to be moveable?

I have three lights - One spot beam light outside (50W), another flood
(wide angle) fixed beam light (50W) also outside. And also a hand held
movable spotlight (also 50 W) inside. To prevent reflexion it is in a
plastic cylinder casing - the front of the casing is about 2 inch longer
than the light and has a soft rubber (neopren) seal - so I can contact
it direct to the inside of the dome to prevent reflections. I use the
inside search light normaly just for
very short time to search for points outside the light area of the both
outside lights. So for this reason there is no heat problem. If I found
something intressting I switch the inside search light off and turn the
boat in that direction.  

You can make first some test with a strong pocketlamp. Maybe you catch 
reflections on the inside of the outside dome.. If not you can build in
the 
searchlight later in .. 

During the first dive and drives Sgt.Peppers has no top hatch. During
this time I need a radio remote voice control on the surface to find the
way home..  

"Submarine from Alpha Groundstation - turn 20 degree left for 1 minutes
than 45 degree right - awaiting final landing instruction" 

- funny for the visitor people around our Alpha station (a car with the
trailer) - not so much for me..   .. special not if children or boring
people found the VHF channel and give other commands or just make
nonsens. Later we make some secret commands to change the channel. And
now the sub has a top hatch.. 

But you can shift sometimes the battery aft and have a look.. 

Carsten

> 
> thanks,
> 
> - Alec
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: MerlinSub@t-online.de [mailto:MerlinSub@t-online.de]
> Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 1:45 PM
> To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
> Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Flyer
> 
> Hi Alec, gratulations .. looks great
> 
> Do you know the comic of
> "Spirou und Fantasio"
> - Das Versteck der Muräne 1983 (Le Repaire de la Murene 1978)
> ISBN 3-551-01207-5
> - Tiefenrausch 1987 (Spirou et les Hommes-Bulles 1977)
> ISBN 3-551-01215-6
> 
> I wish I had decided 13 years before to use 31 inch diameter
> - instead of the 22 inch I did..
> 
> - Any optical view-tools for surface drive ?
> 
> - Any bigger flooding vale at the stern endcap ?
> 
> - Beam lights behind the protection dome ?
> 
> Maybe I will copy the dropweight key .. just bigger.
> 
> see you - during a convention - anywere, someone, Carsten