Well now remember you asked for it. : )' Here is a hatch 3D CAD model I was
working on for use on allot of different PSUB's. I was thinking it would be
a workable basic design for a hatch on the K-350 and K-250 model
submersibles. I was always a little worried about the unprotected half
sphere acrylic domes on the K-250. Part of it is based on the hatches used
on the U Boat Worx submersibles
http://www.uboatworx.com/flash/index.html and the
DeepWorker subs http://www.nuytco.com/products/subs.shtml.
Now keep in mind this is a unfinished basic concept design so there will
likely be some resizing of things for various reasons. It could be made out
of stainless steel, carbon steel, or aluminum. I don't have the hinge and
spring models done just yet but there is plenty to see here. I will also be
adding the hex bolt and washer fastener's to hold the protective bars to the
top seal plate. Also there will need to be a rubber contact on top of the
dome attached to the protective bars to hold the dome tight against the two
bottom O-rings while on the surface.
http://www.frappr.com/?a=viewphoto&id=2384531&pid=3954518
http://www.frappr.com/?a=viewphoto&id=2384531&pid=3954517
http://www.frappr.com/?a=viewphoto&id=2384531&pid=3954516
http://www.frappr.com/?a=viewphoto&id=2384531&pid=3954515
http://www.frappr.com/?a=viewphoto&id=2384531&pid=3954514
http://www.frappr.com/?a=viewphoto&id=2384531&pid=3954513
With regards to O-rings for hatch sealing, most the O-rings I've seen on
subs are of a small diameter. For what reason I'm not sure but I would
guess it has to do with not wanting to have a lot of rubber to keep
compressing at greater depths. So for the moment I have four larger O-rings
in this model. I'm using a double O-ring set up for the dome, as well as
the hatch seals for back up protection. This may not be the best way to go
about it, but it looks good to me so far. I've seen and installed allot of
plumbing products that have back up O-rings, so it must work, right. Any
way the O-rings in this model are in a compressed state.
You'll also notice I got a little groovy putting a small trough groove in
the lower hatch sealing plate, on the inside of the two O-rings. This is
for dealing with a slow leak in the O-rings, and/or for draining the small
amount of water that gets on the lower seal plate. When I was on the
Atlantis tourist sub in Kona, Hawaii a while back they had water dripping in
when they opened the hatch at the surface and had to have towels to clean it
up before we could exit in dry comfort. I don't want to get wet ya know or
I'll melt. I'm melting, I'm melting. Any who, I'll need to drill and tap a
hole on the underside or the bottom seal plate and then attach and run a
stainless steel tube down to a high pressure sump pump.
That's all folks
Regards,
Brent
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable man
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress
depends on the unreasonable man." - George Bernard Shaw
************************************************************************
************************************************************************
************************************************************************
The personal submersibles mailing list complies with the US Federal CAN-SPAM
Act of 2003. Your email address appears in our database because either you,
or someone you know, requested you receive messages from our organization.
If you want to be removed from this mailing list simply click on the link
below or send a blank email message to:
removeme-personal_submersibles@psubs.org Removal of your
email address from this mailing list occurs by an automated process and
should be complete within five minutes of our server receiving your request.
PSUBS.ORG PO Box 53 Weare, NH 03281 603-529-1100
************************************************************************
************************************************************************
************************************************************************