Re: PSUBS.ORG Domain Name

[Coast Guard Kiteman <exfloridians@ecsu.campus.mci.net>]

At 09:27 AM 10/1/1997 -0700, Ray Keefer wrote:
>Hi Alan,
>> I'll try to post pictures as I progress.


        Roger that.


>Good. Can we get a picture of your pile of parts? Just to get things rolling.
>Thanks,
>Ray


        Well, my 'pile of parts' is mostly in my brain [and you don't want a
picture
of THAT <g>].

        I'm thinking along two different lines that I haven't seen in the
short time
I've been on this list.

        First is propulsion.  Instead of using batteries, has anyone
investigated using hydrogen/oxygen (or hydrogen/air) fuel cells?  Several web-
sites for fuel cells are on the internet.  It seems the advantages would be (1)
longer endurance time, and (2) qucker turn-around time.  Just replenish your
hydrogen supply (using a hydride tank which would also act as ballast), which
would be quicker than recharging batteries.

          I know U.S.Submarines<?>, the folks advertising on the web with
the multi-million $ private subs, are going diesel-electric.  I don't like
that because as soon as you get 1 inch below the water (unless you're using
a snorkel), that diesel becomes completely useless dead-weight.  Then your
batteries (which you've been dragging around on the surface) take over until
they're exhausted.  With fuel cell/electric propulsion, your fuel cells
provide electricity ALL the time, and your propulsion is by electric motors
which operate either surfaced or submerged.  And as I said, refilling your
hydrogen store would take less time then recharging batteries.

        And yeah, there's not a hydrogen filling station on every corner.
Yet.  But
for our use here with personal subs, I'm sure that could be overcome.  I mean
if you're building a submarine from scratch [and you'll need a lot of
scratch <g>],
you're going to have to build some support equipment on your own, too.

        The second line of thought is building using composite materials,
AND using some type of geodesic or geodetic framework for the cabin.  That
would work for a sphere, and maybe even a cylinder.  In WW2, the British
flew a twin-engine bomber 
called the "Wellington", which was fabric covered, but used an aluminum
geodesic airframe (designed by Sir Barnes Wallis).  AND YES, I KNOW 
AIRPLANES AND SUBMARINES ARE DIFFERENT!  [Sorry, I felt like
yelling <g>.]  However, using a geodesic\geodetic framework would allow you
to build using just a few different size elements produced in quantity, instead
of lots of parts of different sizes.

        I've left a few details out [I may put the whole thing down in a
post later], but you get the general idea of what I'm thinking of.

        
Allan "CGK" Gaines