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FYI: WSI'99, WSI'2000 Updates, WSI'98 Recap (Fwd)
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Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 16:42:41 -0800 ( PST)
From: Kevin Hardy <76060.2622@compuserve.com>
To: subrace@ucsd.edu
Subject: WSI'99, WSI'2000 Updates, WSI'98 Recap
World Submarine Invitational
Florida Atlantic University/Department of Ocean Engineering
Scripps Institution of Oceanography/UCSD
WSI Event Update
from Kevin Hardy
Co-Director, WSI'98
Greetings fellow submariners,
This is an update on the current status of human-powered submarine
competitions organized by FAU and SIO.
**WSI'99:
None scheduled due to the commitment of resources in the opening of Florida
Atlantic University's Department of Ocean Engineering's new facility
"SeaTech".
**WSI'2000:
The next WSI, to be hosted by Florida Atlantic University, is tentatively
scheduled for June, 2000. Adequate sponsorship is required before the WSI
can commit to a definite date. Sponsor recruitment is underway.
We appreciate your patience and will notify you just as soon as definite
plans have been made.
FAU Contact:
Susan C. Fish
Coordinator of Student Affairs
Dept. of Ocean Engineering
Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
eMAIL: fish@oe.fau.edu
Tel : (561)297-3435
Fax : (561)297-3885
**WSI'98 Review
"Whale on the Course!"
The friendly 30-ft Gray Whale was a big reminder we weren't in a basin any
longer. The California edition of the World Submarine Invitational had
moved to the open sea to allow the fastest submarines room to accelerate
and maneuver, and for all submariners to experience the real dimensions of
"man-in-the-sea."
The intense three day experience provided real world lessons in pier
launch/recovery techniques, currents, swell, surge, turbulent water,
saltwater corrosion, cable chafing, project management, and surface boat
support of submarine operations. Scripps Institution of Oceanography's
staff, graduate students and faculty, together with numerous industrial
partners, provided immense volunteer and material support for this year's
California event.
Participants, limited to a field of 8, included:
Sub #; Team/Boat; Class; crew
75; St. Augustine High School; DPV; 1
28; Texas A&M Sub Maroon; Prop; 2
3O; Ecole de Technologie Suprieriere / Omer; Prop; 1
8; Florida Atlantic University / FAU-Boat; Prop; 2
7; Virginia Tech; Prop; 2
UCSD; UCSD; Prop; 1
3M; Millersville; Non-prop; 2
3D; Will Foreman, DaVinci; Prop; 1
Results
The speeds below reflect all successful runs through the timing trap.
Actual
Sub Speed Crew
Date No. (Knots) Pilot Stoker
=======================================================
7/24/98 75 1.14 Zachery Tahous --
7/24/98 75 1.63 Peter Sabatino --
7/25/98 28 4.14 Paul Noel Todd Veselis
7/25/98 28 4.38 Paul Noel Todd Veselis
7/25/98 8 4.10 Jen Cairns Julie Keydel
7/25/98 8 3.75 Jen Cairns Julie Keydel
7/25/98 7 1.81 Andy VanLooveren Ron Callis
7/26/98 75 1.56* Peter Sabatino --
7/26/98 3O 6.36 Francois Maisonneuve --
*Note: Uncorrected speed, no current data available for this run.
The overall submarine event went very well. The weather cooperated, ocean
visibility was good, and every sub was deployed from the pier into the sea.
Submarine operations were suspended only once, when the Gray Whale swam
onto our course! The whale seemed quite comfortable to be around people,
approaching two surface divers slowly, then diving gracefully beneath them.
Later, a pod of dolphins and a school of bat rays swam above the submarine
landscape that was our playground for those three days. Those unexpected
delightful events tapped primal instincts within each submariner, making
for a very remarkable event. Also, as promised to the experimental
submarine community following his death in October 1997, the memory of
Jacques Yves Cousteau was honored by his image on the left sleeve of the
WSI'98 event t-shirt.
For photos, please see the WSI'98 website at: "http:www/hte.com/subrace/".
Some thoughts on the future of these events:
A general discussion among submariners and event organizers suggests the
speed challenges have narrowed the focus of experimental submarining to
"straight-line fast." A number of teams have expressed their belief that a
change in focus would better serve both the educational goal and the
development of broader range of functional undersea vehicles. For example,
a change towards an underwater maneuverability and payload carrying design
challenge, perhaps including battery-powered submarines, might lead to
submarine transports that could one day find application in recreational,
light commercial, and light research diving operations. Or at the
WSI'2000, FAU/OE might choose to return to a variant of the head-to-head
human-powered submarine races they initially hosted in 1989.
This new direction away from speed-only events is supported by:
1. Open ocean challenges are complicated by swell, current, turbulent
water, visibility, fog, overcast, marine animals, and lack of boundaries to
contain submariners. While the timing guys are able to correct for the
affects of ocean currents on a submarine, other variables are not as simply
compensated for. Challenges to world records in open ocean sites will have
random success in matching present top speeds. Any event in any ocean will
face the same problems.
A restructured event, featuring a simple measure of time to provide a
ranking of place, provides numerous advantages. A new challenge may
combine elements of launch and recovery systems, navigation,
maneuverability and speed. Because of the turns, speeds are forced to be
slower. A tow buoy could be used for submarine surface tracking, slowing
all boats equally. Participants compete for event records and yearly meet
titles. The event format could be generally replicated elsewhere,
providing event champions at each site, while providing host sites
flexibility in their approach. Such an event structure will allow each
site to offer a unique course, featuring local underwater highlights.
2. Many teams are comprised of newly certified divers who may lack the
experience to handle critical situations at the impressive underwater
speeds routinely achieved today. Of special concern is a submarine loosing
control at speeds approaching 7 knots and propelling towards the surface.
The rate of ascent in shallow water could rapidly expand the compressed air
in the diver's lungs faster than is physically possible to exhale through a
regulator, potentially causing a fatal air embolism. It is prudent to
consider allowing only the most experienced teams to challenge speed
records in the future, while directing most teams to events emphasizing
other design goals.
Since establishing the sanctioning protocol with Guinness in 1992 and
offering open challenges in 1994, 1996 and 1998, the top speeds now
achieved by human-powered submarines exceeds what can be handled at any
venue in San Diego. It is unlikely Scripps Institution of
Oceanography/UCSD will host a future event featuring challenges to the
existing world speed records.
Scripps will continue to support human-powered submarine events by offering
material and other support, including this listserv, to Florida Atlantic
University's Department of Ocean Engineering, the originators of the modern
era of human-powered submarine design challenges.
During the time Scripps hosted events on the west coast, experimental
submariners experienced:
--the first basin events;
--the first pier launched events;
--a video based timing system that provided accurate, verifiable, and
repeatable measurements;
--the first one-person vehicle categories;
--separation of high school, collegiate and open divisions;
--separation of propeller and non-propeller categories;
--sanctioning by the Guinness Book of Records;
--sanctioning by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association;
--demonstration of battery powered diver tow vehicles as a potential
division;
--demonstration of battery powered submarines as a potential division;
--and minimized event duration to constrain costs of team
participation.
This current discussion has included the International Human Powered
Vehicle Association (IHPVA) and Guinness Publishing representatives.
The close of one millennia and the beginning of another is perhaps a
natural time to consider such changes.
Your ideas, of course, are always welcome.
Finally, for the record:
Existing Guinness and IHPVA Speed Records
Guinness World Speed Records
(Section, "Transport"; Subheading, "Ships"; Category, "Submarines")
Propeller
"The fastest speed attained by a human-powered propeller submarine is 6.696
knots +/- 0.06kts (3.445 m/sec) by SubStandard, designed, built and crewed
by William Nicoloff, Northridge, CA, USA, using a two-blade propeller
propulsion system, on 30 March 1996."
Non-Propeller
(Established in open ocean, August 23, 1992)
"The fastest speed attained by a human-powered non-propeller submarine is
2.9 knots +/- 0.1kts (1.49 m/sec) by SubDUDE/UCSD, designed and built by
the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San
Diego, USA, using a horizontal oscillating foil propulsion system, on 21
August 1992. It was crewed by Kimball Millikan and Ed Trevino, with team
leader Kevin Hardy. "
International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHPVA)
International Records
1-person, Propeller
SubStandard
(6.696 knots +/- 0.06kts)
Team Leader: Bill Nicoloff
Pilot/Athlete: Bill Nicoloff
2-person, Propeller
Ecole de Technologie Superieure, Omer II
(6.546 +/- 0.06kts)
Team Leader:
Pilot:
Athlete:
1-person, Non-Propeller
Sub-Lime
(0.962 Kts +/- 0.02kts)
Team Leader: Dr. Robert Iannello
Pilot/Athlete: Dr. Robert Iannello
2-person, Non-Propeller
SubDude, UCSD/Scripps Institution of Oceanography
(2.9 Kts +/- 0.1kts)
Team Leader: Kevin Hardy
Pilot: Kimball Millikan
Athlete: Edward Trevino
(Awarded retroactively)
Allow me to offer my personal best wishes to all you fine people,
everywhere, whose contributions have made these past 10 years
so extraordinary. Experimental submariners are the best!
Hope to see you in Florida, back where it all began!
Kevin Hardy
khardy@ucsd.edu
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