Re: Welcome new member.

[VBra676539@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/14/99 10:01:05 PM, exfloridians@ecsu.campuscwix.net 
writes:

<<While I'm nowhere near building (or even really even
seriously designing) a sub right now, I've got some
ideas in mind.  I want to build a 1-atmosphere sub that's 
more an underwater RV (recreational vehicle) than 
an extreme deep-diver.  Something with some range
that doesn't require a support vessel of any kind.
Use a H2 fuel cell[s] for power.  

I'm also curious about building something with a kind of
geodesic framework.  Either metal, composite, or some
kind of semi-bouyant concrete<?> I've read about.  These
last are just things I'm curious about, but haven't really
investigated.>>

Allan,

Read up on Energy Partners in West Palm Beach--John Perry--experience in fuel 
cells U/W dates back to the 60s when Perry powered the Hydro-Lab for 2 full 
days with a fuel cell being used at the time to power the Gemini capsules in 
orbit.  EP is now working on a proton exchange membrane (PEM) cell and 
Hydrogen/Oxygen as the fuel and catalyst.  They also manufactured a 
successful fuel cell for the PC-1401 during an experiment with Texas A&M 
University which owned the sub at the time.  The PEM produces steady-state 
power only (no high load capacity) but is very user friendly and estimated to 
be (in equivelant power ranges) 2 1/2 times more efficient than the best of 
the internal combustion engines.  The current company target is to produce 
units that retail (?) at $1500 per kw.

Geodesic subs were studied in the 60s. I have seen a model of an enormous geo 
hull that used an intricate steel cage and angular cast glass panels--it had 
about a million miles of joints in it, and thus about a million miles of leak 
potential and was never carried beyond the study stage. I know that the Comex 
Moana hulls were built like geodesic structures with large dome port frames 
tied together with some kind of expensive steel pieces cut into sort of 
curved diamond pieces. The hulls are elegant and pretty to look at--had great 
strength and reasonable payload for their size--but were very expensive and 
time consuming to build. They experimented with AC thrusters and other things 
foreign to us Yankee truck drivers in the North Sea, and I don't think more 
than one or two were built.

I like your RV concept. How about a Stirling engine backup with a PEM fuel 
cell? And an all girl crew. Change your name to Nemo .... ?

Vance