RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] How to trim and ballast bigger boats.

[Hugo Marrero <HMarrero@HBOI.edu>]

Carsten,

The ballast system in these subs is more complex than the scope of this site
is, but I'll try to give you a quick explanation.

There are 8 separate tanks ( In reality each is a single tank divided by a
wall and with independent valves) located on the sides of the sub. Each tank
has it's own valve. Each valve actuates 4 tanks in  port /stbd pairs. These
use a combination of air pressure (calle a pre-charge pressure) and a rotary
vane pump. There are two pumps connected to 5 HP Brushless DC motors that
can run the pumps in either direction to fill / drain the tanks. Ballasting
between dives is done while passengers are being transferred between the
boat and the sub. There is a table that you must use to determine the
average amount of water needed for the number of passengers and crew on
board. This gets you within 200 to 300 lbs of your goal. Once you start your
dive you have to immediately determine if your ballasting condition and
adjust it accordingly.

This system is quite complex as there are pumps, 4" Stailess tubing, Valves,
pneumatic controls, electronics and instrumentation.

But that's it in a nutshell, hope this helps...

Hugo

-----Original Message-----
From: MerlinSub@t-online.de [mailto:MerlinSub@t-online.de]
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 12:33 PM
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] How to trim and ballast bigger boats. 


Hugo Marrero schrieb:

> And to me personally, ballast is everything. This
> applies to the time when I drove the Atlantis I, IV, IX, X, & XIV. These
> subs displace 80 Tons and the VBT in the 48 passenger boat has a capacity
of
> up to 12,000 lbs of sea water. Even though they are mosntrous in size, the
> difference between a good pilot and a mediocre pilot (for these subs that
> is) is the ability to ballast the submersible properly.


Hi Hugo nice to here from you - how was the way to get the big boat with
all the differnet passengers quick in trim and ballast ?

regards Carsten



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