Hi Pierre,
The end cap is sealed with an O-ring and held on with one bolt in the
center
of the end cap.
To give more detail, the end of the pipe that make up the pod is machined
down at the opened end to create the male part of the connection It's
reduced to about half the wall thickness for about 1/2 inch in length.
The
cap is machined on it's inside to about .008 inch larger then the male and
for about 5/8 inch long. The inside corner of the cap gets a 45 degree
chamfer, large enough so when the cap is matted on to the pipe, it creates
a
sufficient cavity to hold the O-Ring. When assembling the O-ring goes on
the male end ( pipe end or pod) and is squeezed when the female end (cap)
is
put in place. As I described, the O-ring is captured in a three cornered
space made when the chamfered cap is placed on the pod, not in a standard
square O-ring groove. You may have to make a scaled layout of the
connection to determine the your dimensions and proper O-ring squeeze.
To hold the cap in place, first you have to fashion a retaining bar to be
installed after your batteries and before your end cap. It's nothing more
then a steel bar that bolts onto tabs welded on the inside, near the end,
of
the battery pod. On the retaining bar there is a 5/8 UNC nut welded to a
post that is located so it's positioned right behind, and on center, with
the end cap when it's installed.
In the end cap, dead center, you need to cut a hole about two inches in
diameter and weld in a chunk of stainless steel round stock. Preferably
after it's welded in, the round stock gets bored for a 5/8 UNC bolt. Bore
the hole a few thousants larger then the bolt diameter.
The bolt gets O-ring grooves cut in it. The grooves are placed so it
seals
within the stainless steel piece in the center of the end cap when the
bolt
is installed. There are two O-ring grooves each containing one O-ring to
make a double seal.
To assemble the pod, you first install the batteries, bolt in the
retaining
bar, install the O-ring on the male part of the connection (the pod), put
on
the end cap, place the O-rings in the grooves in the 5/8 bolt, then
tighten
the bolt in through the center of the end cap.
It's probably a good idea to provide some means to vent the pod while
charging, other then removing the end cap every time you need to charge
the
batteries. The cap sounds easy to remove but in reality, the pod may warp
out of round a little from later welding and bouncing the sub around.
This
will make the cap a pain to remove. The K-350 has two vent tubes with
removable caps on them to vent into the hull when charging. You only
charge
when surfaced and with the hatch opened.
Hope you can follow my description,
Dan H.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Marie-Andrée et Pierre" <poulin.carrier@videotron.ca>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 5:32 PM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Battery pod. (question for Dan H.)
Hi Dan,
I will do a battery pod like the one on a k-350. A 1atm battery pod made
with a cylinder and end-caps.
My question is: How do you open/close the pod? I know that one of the
end-cap is removable but how do you secure it into place? What kind of
seal
is there?
Thank you very much!
Be the way, my project is shifting into high gear since i have a 2-3
months
without work. I found a sponsor for the batteries. So i only need 1 more
motor and it should be ok! I really plan to use the sub at the beginning
of
the summer!
Pierre Poulin
Québec Canada
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