| 
 Hi Alan, 
  
Uh-oh, problem. Although it sounds entirely reasonable, 
that isn't a safe hold-down method. It's essential the flange should be machined 
entirely off because it's the area of maximum stress in a blown dome. You 
could only really use the proposed method in an ambient boat. I'll let Greg 
weigh in as the resident expert, but if he misses this post please be sure to 
contact him proactively. This is a serious safety issue, not a detail. 
 
  
I'm no acrylic expert, but be aware there are other details 
that set a submersible dome quite apart from what your local supplier may be 
used to fabricating. Like the annealing protocol, for instance, which as I 
understand it can have drastic consequences. Viewports are an area in which 
something may look OK but not be OK. 
  
  
thanks,
  Alec  
Thanks Carsten & Alec, thats great 
information. 
I'll add a pressure equalizing valve. If I had a 
manually operated valve it may 
cause problems If I forgot to open it. 
I'm not building a K250, the dome on order is being 
blown 550mm O/D & from 35mm 
thick acrylic. I've asked them to trim the flange 
to 15mm wide & 15mm thick & will have 
a retaining ring holding it down.  
I was concerned that maybe I'd gone a bit thin to 
support the upward lifting force of the 
dome but it calculates out to  about 1 pound 
for every inch of flange just at below the surface. 
Thats providing as Carsten said, the barametric 
pressure isn't higher than outside the sub. 
Alan 
  
  ----- Original Message -----  
  
  
  Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 9:24 
  AM 
  Subject: RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Hatch 
  pressure 
  
  
  Hi Alan, 
    
  If it's a K-250 you're building, here's your other 
  data point. I just weighed the hatch, and it's 23.5 kg. So it would be 6.5 kg 
  buoyant.  
    
  Alec  
    
     
  
  
  Hi thanks people,  
  I was having trouble understanding this. I just put plastic wrap loosly 
  over the top of a glass & submerged it. Some 
  of the wrap bulged up 
  but you could push parts down below the level of 
  the top of the glass. 
  ( This proves you right ) 
  I am going with  a dome hatch, but 
  haven't designed the locking mechanism yet. 
  The dome will be close to  30kg of boyancy 
  before its mounted. 
  Alan 
    
  
    ----- Original Message -----  
    
    
    Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 6:51 
    AM 
    Subject: RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Hatch 
    pressure 
    
  
    
    First weigh the hatch in air. Then calculate the 
    displacement of the hatch, which is the weight of the water that would fill 
    an equivalent volume. Subtract the displacement from the weight. If you get 
    a negative number, the hatch will tend to "float" as you describe. I doubt 
    very much that would be the case for any conventional elliptical steel 
    hatch. In the case of an acrylic dome hatch like the K-250, I'd 
    recommend doing the math because I'm less sure of the outcome 
    -- those might be slightly buoyant.  
      
    Alec 
    The 
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    Hi all, 
    I've brought up this subject before, but are 
    tackling it from a differant angle. 
    How much pressure is exerted upward on a hatch 
    at the moment where the 
    submarine 
    just submerges below the water? This is the 
    point of most force before external water 
    pressure helps close it. 
    If you took your submarine, filled it with 
    water & hung it upside down, would this be the 
    same amount of force, or close to 
    it. 
    In wich case if you have a design like Franks 
    flying saucer that angles up to the hatch, 
    you'd have a lot more force acting upward on 
    the hatch than a K250 where the lifting force  
    would be spread more evenly along the 
    hull. 
    Am I thinking right? 
    Alan 
      
    
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