This tiny submarine 2.4 miles under the sea, visiting the relics of RMS Titanic. Can it be found and the crew saved before the air runs out?

[Beebo]

I wonder why he went with 5 inch thick carbon fibre ?

And how many layers of material is that?
All of which have to be layered perfectly with no air bubbles or weaknesses.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If what is reported is accurate, it seems that the CEO knew they had cut corners to achieve this. The viewport itself which was made of plexiglass was allegedly only rated for less that half of the depth that the sub was heading for. There will be a thorough investigation for sure and I'm predicting a lot of dismaying facts will come out about the entire operation.

I read a report where the ceo said the plexiglass compressed by 3/4 inch at Titanic Depths.

 

[slowmotion]

Probably the same reason people go to visit the Pyramids, various war graves, famous graveyards like Highgate Cemetary, the tomb of the unkown soldier etc...
Also I think theres quite a lot of nostalgia and mystique about the Titanic.
I've just read that the young lad who died didnt want to go and was terrified but felt he had to go because his Dad. Thats really sad.

Personally, I would feel a bit uneasy about tourist trips to gawp at the wreckage of MH370, even if it had a "respectful ceremony" and some bogus "scientific research".

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I wonder why he went with 5 inch thick carbon fibre ?

I’d imagine it’s a weight thing, allowing him to manoeuvre closer to the wreckage than a standards based deep sea sub.

 

[cougie uk]

I’d imagine it’s a weight thing, allowing him to manoeuvre closer to the wreckage than a standards based deep sea sub.

Surely there's a safe distance to be kept from the wreckage? You'd not want the current to push you into the ship ?

I think Cameron said it best when he said we've learnt nothing from the Titanic.

Two ships captains pressing on at full speed regardless of the danger.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Surely there's a safe distance to be kept from the wreckage? You'd not want the current to push you into the ship ?

I think Cameron said it best when he said we've learnt nothing from the Titanic.

Two ships captains pressing on at full speed regardless of the danger.

Under no circumstances would you ever want to be in a position to contact wreckage 3800 metres down. Carbon fibre is an unproven material in this application - and by its nature it's very poor in compression FGS.

We know exactly what the captain of Titanic was doing, we don't know about Titan yet though.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Surely there's a safe distance to be kept from the wreckage?

​

If you are already doing things differently, and have decided not to go down the regulatory standards based route…

“You know, there’s a limit. At some point safety just is pure waste. I mean if you just want to be safe, don’t get out of bed.” (Rush)

 

[Illaveago]

And how many layers of material is that?
All of which have to be layered perfectly with no air bubbles or weaknesses.

In 450gsm glass fibre that would be 127 layers, each layer being 1mm.

 

[Dogtrousers]

What's the biggest design challenge with a sub? The vast pressure differential between a bubble of compressible gas and the outside environment. Why do we have this pesky gas? So that people can breathe.

Solution. Don't take the gas. Don't take people. I've just made your physical design challenge an order of magnitude or two easier. The software challenges are still pretty big, but hey - we like a challenge don't we.

Of course that cuts off a stream of funding from bored billionnaires who have run out of useful things to do.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

What's the biggest design challenge with a sub? The vast pressure differential between a bubble of compressible gas and the outside environment. Why do we have this pesky gas? So that people can breathe.

Solution. Don't take the gas. Don't take people. I've just made your physical design challenge an order of magnitude or two easier. The software challenges are still pretty big, but hey - we like a challenge don't we.

Of course that cuts off a stream of funding from bored billionnaires who have run out of useful things to do.

You end up with something like the ROV that ultimately located the debris. What fun is that if you've got several squillion quids burning a hole?

 

[Milzy]

I predict foul play. Billionaires with WEF links. Suspicious.

 

[Dogtrousers]

You end up with something like the ROV that ultimately located the debris. What fun is that if you've got several squillion quids burning a hole?

Exactly. The practical value of taking people physically there is nil (or nil-ish). But people will pay to do it anyway. These are vanity toys.
Let's not pretend they are adventurers, discoverers or advancing scientific knowledge somehow.

 

[matticus]

Exactly. The practical value of taking people physically there is nil. But people will pay to do it anyway. These are vanity toys.
Let's not pretend they are adventurers, discoverers or advancing scientific knowledge somehow.

I'm sore from sitting on this fence, but: they will have gained knowledge of how to get people down to such depths.

And there is the space programme teflon/upside-down-pens/etc argument ... you never know what spinoff engineering there will be ...

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'm sore from sitting on this fence, but: they will have gained knowledge of how to get people down to such depths.

That's a completely circular argument. They are doing something pointless in order to gain knowledge of how to do something pointless.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I'm sore from sitting on this fence, but: they will have gained knowledge of how to get people down to such depths.

It’s already known and humans have been to the bottom of the Mariana Trench at 10,928m below sea level. Way below the level the Titanic rests at.