Alex, While some forms of stainless steel display great corrosion properties in seawater there are issues in closed space due to pitting and crevice corrosion. The welded rings and the closed space would make this idea particular subject to pitting and crevice corrosion. Working the stainless steel and the cost of the materials would make this a very costly addition to a submersible. In reality, corrosion is minimal with the typical steels used in subs that have had the proper zinc anodes anchored in the proper places on the hull along with the correct application of the appropriate surface preservations...plus these methods are cost effective. R/Jay Resepectfully, Jay K. Jeffries Andros Is., Bahamas Save the whales, collect the whole set. -----Original Message----- Hello everyone on the mailing list this is my first post I hope it goes through. We all know that salt water grade stainless steel costs a lot, so only rich people making small submarines should use it. So I had this idea: Make a regular submarine hull, then put stainless stell rings around the outside of the hull which are little spacers that are about a half to an inch high. The inside of these rings will be welded to the hull. Then get thin stainless steel sheet metal to wrap around the outside of the hull and weld it to the stainless steel spacer rings. Now you have a small gap between the thick inner steel hull and the very thin outer stainless stell hull. The space in between the two hulls will be filled with water with antifreeze, oil or some other non corrosive liquid. There will be plugs at the top of the hull for inspection, so that if any salt water has leaked in it will be detected and problem can be addressed before hull damage occurs. Has anyone thought of this or seen it before ? Alex -- Mailed with XFmail on 12-Sep-2009. God saved Noah, but Noah had to build an ark! ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ 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 ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ |