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Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] FYI: GRP Pressure Hulls
I think not so much is commonly known about the strength of
carbon-fibre or other resin matrix type of materials , but pressure vessels
are commonly commercially available made of these materials so I wouldn't
think there would actually be a problem with them, if you completely
understand them. It is true that you would have to weigh the same in order
to sink and thus overall, in diving trim the submarine would have to have
the same density as any other type. However that being said, perhaps you
could make the submarine itself lighter and add ballast on site for the
dive. This would make the unit easier to transport to and from location.
I myself know little of fibre reinforced composite materials, but
much about steels, and so would probably use either a rolled SA516-Gr70
rolled plate or X65 - X100 line pipe for my pressure hull. Line pipe has
the advantage in that it has been pressure tested at manufacture. It may
also be possible to get salvage or scrap pieces for relatively cheap.
Also corrosion would not be a problem with a composite material, as
for iron vessels, however the permitted number of cycles may be orders of
magnitude lower, but I would think that corrosion would be a far greater
problem for PSubs than the number of dives you intend to make.
My 2¢ worth.
Jay,
Doc
<doc@bionicdolphin.com> To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Sent by: cc:
owner-personal_submersible Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] FYI: GRP Pressure Hulls
s@psubs.org
08/01/2003 03:18 AM
Please respond to
personal_submersibles
Not so unique.
Deep Flight is fiberglass / polyester and the 1st Bionic Dolphin was carbon
fiber, Kevlar, Spectra and S glass in epoxy
the second BD is Kevlar and E glass in Vinylester. Modified ceramics are
the next big step in going really deep
and Jerry Stachiw is the man with the answers (http://www.hydroports.com/)
.
For those of you that remember the movie "The Graduate", I have only one
word,,,, PLASTICS.
Doc
Steven Mills wrote:
> "The LR submersibles are unique in that they use Glass Reinforced
Polyester
> (GRP) for the craft's shell rather than steel"
>
> http://www.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/08/18/gordon.robertson/