Tethered Submarines
Underwater operations (aquiculture, port construction and
maintenance, drilling for oil or gas, well maintenance, etc.) are difficult,
dangerous and expensive. To improve this a few things could be deployed:
·
internal combustion engines operating underwater,
·
remote controlled machines operating underwater,
·
crew rotation, with ample time, space and comfort,
for rest at a location near to its work location.
Air for an internal
combustion engine has to be taken above the water. If it is passed to the
engine through some “hose”, which could collapse under pressure of water, it
has to be preliminary compressed to the level matching highest level of water
pressure on its way. This level could be high, when depth of operations is
high.
If engine’s exhaust is passed back
to the surface of the water through a collapsible hose, than it has to be at
the water pressure at the level of operations, hence there is no benefit in
moving it to the surface, it has to be released directly into the water.
Cost of pumping air to the engine
is additional cost of operating engine under water. However, the benefit of
such arrangement is huge, because it allows using liquid fuels in submerged
submarines.
Note that such passing
of air from the water surface to the recipient submarine could be done in
stages. First stage could be a small “ship” on the surface, which facilitates
air intake. Next few stages could be submarines, which use part of passing air
to run own engine and increase pressure of the air passed to the next
submarine.
It makes sense to have a
“control” submarine to house people and a set of small unmanned “worker” submarines
with “gripping legs” and “manipulators”, which are controlled remotely through
an optical cable from the “control” submarine.
The “control” submarine
and “worker” submarines each have own internal combustion engine, hence it
makes sense to enclose an optical cable in the air hose connecting the
“control” and a “worker” submarines.
When entire “assembly”
of submarines moves to another area of operations, small “worker” submarines “hitchhike”
on the “control” submarine. For that there are special “ears” on the surface of
the “control” submarine, to which the “worker” submarines clasp.
It makes sense to have at
least two “assemblies” of submarines (“control” submarines with their attached
“worker” submarines) working on the same work location. When one “assembly” works,
the other “assembly” should be disengaged: it should be close to the surface,
where maintenance, retooling and repairs are done.
In that location close to the
surface, “control” submarines should be refueled from supply ships. Their
“worker” submarines should be refueled from the “control” submarine, in the
same location, while they are attached to it. Supply ships should bring
supplies and materials needed for the operations in special waterproof
containers and pass these containers to the “control” submarine for delivery to
the work location.
That location, close to the
surface, is the best place for the crew to rest. “Control” submarines should be
spacious and comfortable enough to provide conditions for the rest of the crew.
When there is time to
move to another work location, “assemblies” pair-up: two control submarines
clasp to each other using special “ears” and “grippers” on their surface.
A special optical cable should connect
these two “control” submarines, through which crew of one submarine could
control engines and control surfaces of another “assembly”. The same cable
should be used for regular communications between crews. This way, crews could
rotate on the move also.
It is reasonable to
maintain the same pairing of “assemblies” for rotation during the work and for
movement between locations.
As usual in submarines,
a compressed air tank should be in each “control” submarine. It should be
larger than usual, though, because, in some cases, air from this tank could be
used to supplement engines’ air supply from the surface.
During normal working
operations, one “assembly” is deep in the water, while another is on the
surface or, most likely, close to the surface to avoid waves on the surface.
The “control” submarine, which is
close to the surface, would need a special “worker” submarine used exclusively
for air intake. It stays on the surface, takes in air, filters it and passes it
through the air hose to its “control” submarine.
From there, air is passed to second
“control” submarine and in turn to its “worker” submarines.
When both “assemblies”
move, each “control” submarine could deploy own special “worker” submarine for
air intake or one such submarine could be used as during standard operations.
Air used by crews,
should be conditioned.
In such system, there
are connections between “control” submarine and “worker” submarines and between
two “control” submarines. They should be done with a standard Tether, which
consists of a water proof air hose, with optical cable inside it and with a
steel cable inside it (to assure Tether’s integrity).
It should be a niche in a
submarine, where this Tether enters the submarine and where the Tether is partially
stored. This niche should contain a mechanism automatically collecting and
folding the unused part of the Tether inside it, when distance between
connected submarines reduces.
Same mechanism should facilitate unfolding
of the Tether from the niche, when this distance increases.
Alexander Liss 10/6/2019