|
Hi Phil.
Thanks for the info on cast subs. I had no idea
there were actually cast subs out there already built.
In all my reading I have never come across any of
them. I guess my idea wasn't so crazy after all.
With all the advancements in casting technology
perhaps we will see more and more cast subs
built in the future. Again, thanks for the info.
Now I'm just waiting to see someone build a sub out of
a propane tank encased in concrete.
Bill Akins.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 11:10
PM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Brass vs.
Bronze
Re: Cast hulls and Deepflight
!:
Coincidently ( to this post)
I have Deepflight sitting next to some
of the first Deep-Water cast
aluminum hulls made, in the sub museum storage
area - The alum. sub is a
high speed hunter/killer called 'Moray' that was
built at the China Lake,
California in 1964. Six 60" hemis were cast (four
to form the twin
hull spheres and two to be tested to failure) with a
nominal 1.5 inch
thickness and hatch and port/penetrator plate bosses four
times that thick.
Moray was conservatively designed for a 6,000 foot
working depth and
a cruise speed in excess of 15 knots. The sub had a
potential depth rating
more than double the 6K figure and the 100 hp
torpedo motor that is its
main propulsor easily reached speeds of 20 knots
in trials and had a
theoretical maxiimum considerably in excess off that
figure. You can check
it out in Will Foreman's book om US subs - also
in
Busby.
Cast hulls are far
from unique - the Newtsuits are cast of 6061-T
alum. and have a minimum
wall thickness (in the torso) of 3/8" - = the 1250
foot depth rating is
conservative - we tested one of the first hulls to
failure well in excess
of 3500 feet. The new Exosuit is cast alum. plus
titanium and composite
fiber. The Wasps were cast alum. plus mandrel wound
GRP (fibreglas) and so
on. The battery pods on our subs DeepWorker are
forged alum. and titanium -
although they could easily have been cast at a
weight
penalty..
No mysteries in cast
hulls - just a question of
size,weight,desired depth - in other words
- the usual trade-offs.
Don't forget the 'Mother of all cast sub hulls' -
Aluminaut!
Phil Nuytten
|