Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] question for Alec Smythe

[irox <irox@ix.netcom.com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: CurtisUehara@aol.com
Sent: Nov 25, 2003 11:53 AM

> Just now I was thinking about your submarine Solo and another bad thought 
> came to me.  I'am sorry but I worry about these things because I am trying for 
> better understand submarines.  I do know about the ocean and about diving and I
> wonder what will happen if your submarine starts to leak?  If you are dived
> maybe 60 feet down will your pneumatic open the hatch under water pressure?

This is a problem for every 1ATM submarine, if anything, having a pneumatic openner
would give you an advantage over other submarines without a pneumatic openner.

Most subs have several options, releasing the drop weight, using the bail out
tank (like you said, using air to bring the internal pressure to the same as the
external pressure), flooding the sub on the bottom (many people don't operate
their subs in water deeper than the operation depth of the sub).  One other thing,
submarines are pretty tight, and unless the hatch was left off, or a valve wasn't
shut, the flooding rate of the submarine would be pretty low,  I'm sure that the
air would come out of the air tanks faster than the water would come in (even
with the water underpressure.  Stange as it seems, I've heard more people
express concerns that they won't be able to flood their sub fast enought,
than people worried that their sub could flood to fast. 

Ian.