Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] enquiry - Surface Propulsion

[Michael B Holt <tlohm@juno.com>]

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 08:40:15 -0500 David Buchner writes:
>
>	Everything Ray said about not using a gasoline engine makes 
>sense (I 
>wouldn't trust myself to not get blowed up messing with that). But 
>it's 
>a shame, because it would be so handy. For instance, going 
>all-electric, with a generator to run during surface cruising so you 
>don't run down your batteries? Do they make small *diesel* portable 
>generators? One you could lift out topside and start up?

I've wondered about that.   I think I once saw a diesel generator:
it was huge.   Just too big for what we have in mind, but it was
portable.

>	What would it take to make a gasoline *outboard* run after being

>submerged? Is there any feasible way of fitting all its openings (air 
>intake, fuel cap, exhaust port, am I missing some?) with valves? And 
>sealing up all the electric parts with a thick coating of some kind of 
>glurp? Is this just a hopeless fantasy?

I would think one of the old 2-cycle outboards would accept this
treatment easily.   Ever used a British Seagull?   They can be dunked 
underwater for hours,  then a couple of pulls cleans the water out 
and away it goes.

I'd thought of putting a tiny gasoline engine in a compartment of its
own,
with the generator.   That seems simple enough, and with a minimum of
care it wouldn't mess up anyone's day.   

I have the Gast airmotor handbook, from an old project to do something
quite different.   Someone had told me that gasoline engines were just
controlled expansion of gas, so I cast about for a way to do that without
explosive stuff.   I found hydrogen peroxide!   The project was ended at
that point.

Solar cells?   When I was working at the local electric utility, we
played
with these for a bit.   Mostly to see what they could for control systems
at substations ... they just don't give enough power to do much beyond
drive small computer systems (low volts, low amps).   




Mike Holt


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