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In a message dated 12/20/2009 7:08:26 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
Stew@terminalsolutions.biz writes:
Also a good thing about that is if the sub loses electrical power it will automatically drop weights/the battery pod J The battery pod is dead weight if you have no power… That could be a good thing but is an expensive drop weight.
A battery pod, full of batteries, and all the work that went into
fabricating it, probably costs several thousand dollars to replace. A simple
lead drop weight is relatively cheap.
If you drop your battery pods you'd need some sort of break-away connection
for the cables.
If a large section of your sub is dropped, the ascent could be dangerous
without designing the dynamics in so it remains stable on ascent and on the
surface.
I plan on using a simple hydraulic hand pump to rotate a drop pin/socket
assembly, with a mechanical back-up in case the hydraulics fail.
The back-up mechanical design is contained within a large ball valve. If
the hydraulic system didn't work for what ever reason, I can open the ball
valve, insert a 1 inch socket to grab the pin end. By
rotating the pin 180 degrees the drop weight tray is released. The pin stays in
place so no leaks.
The drop weight tray has lead bricks bolted on so total weight can be
adjusted as equipment is added to the sub.
The tray also has steel rollers on it and acts like a carriage for the sub
when it's sitting on the shop floor.
Six rollers rated at 1500 pounds each, arranged in a row will carry the
weight of the sub. The sub can then be balanced on this row of rollers and
rolled or spun in circles while sitting on the floor.
Two additional rollers, one in front and one behind the row of six, are
slightly higher so the sub will "teeter" on the row of six.
All of this assembly is contained within a "keel" shaped structure attached
to the bottom of the sub with a 1 inch stainless drop pin.
If needed, dropping the tray/keel/carriage assembly won't cost a fortune
and the center of gravity and hydrodynamic shape of the sub will change very
little.
It will change the center of buoyancy so once at the surface the sub
will have a tendency to rock with the waves more than with the drop weight, but
is still well within operational parameters.
Frank D.
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