My PSub
The PSub-Suburban
Purpose:
PSub-SubUrban is a multi-purpose personal submarine.
Many people live on thier boats, be it a cabin cruiser
or yatch, that are "parked" in a rented dock slip. I have
also thought about building an underground house. I have
been interested in the possibility of building a sub since
I was young. I also figure if I build one, I may as well
build one that would be comfortable, and less likely to
wish it was more than it was, such as a smaller one
would. So I have finally decided a submersible
"motor home" seems in order. It would combine many
aspects into one design. Due to the size and design
specifications, it will be an ocean going sub. I also
didnt want to have to pay each time I needed my air tanks
filled, hence the compressor. If I could find a way to
fill my own oxygen tanks, and fit within the sub, I would
probably do it. If I could find a non-expendable way of
removing CO2 from the cabin, I would do that as well. I
want my sub to be able to support me, submerged for 9
hours at a time, not moving. Probably around 4 hours
under power. I will design the ventilation system to
support 3 people for 72-hours, but most likely it will
only be me aboard.
Sub Data:
- Length: 49 feet
- Hull Height: 14 feet (includes conning tower 2 feet)
- Overall Height: 16 feet
- Hull Width: 12 feet
- Overall Width: 16 feet
- Maximum Operating Depth: 500 feet
- Crush Depth: 1000 feet
- Tested to Depth: 750 feet (will be)
- Outer Hull: 1/4 inch thick, 12 foot diameter, 33 feet long
- Inner Hull: 1/2 inch thick, 10 foot diameter, 31 feet long
- Outer-Inner Ribs: 1/4 inch thick, 12 inch x 4 1/4 inch I beam 2 foot spaced
- Inner Ribs: 1/4 inch thick, 12 inch x 4 1/4 inch I beam 2 foot spaced offset 1 foot of the Outer-Inner ribs.
- Cabin "Hull": 1/8 inch thick constructed of 3 piece types:
- ... 2 foot x 2 foot x 2 foot 3 sided corner piece
- ... 2 foot x 2 foot 2 sided corner piece
- ... 2 foot x 4 foot 1 sided wall piece
- Cabin Bulkheads: 1 1/2" thick with sliding doors actuated by geared crank and cables
- Cabin Rooms (front to back): all are 6 foot wide and 6 foot tall
- ... Bridge: 8 foot long. All "main" sub controls are located here including power distribution panel and radio panel
- ... Boarding Room: 8 foot long. Conning tower, emergency equipment, ventilation system, also manual valves for all tanked systems
- ... Galley: 5 foot long. Pantry, refrig, stove, kitchen stuff
- ... Latrine: 4 foot long. One side is toilet other is sink.
- ... Quarters: 8 foot long. Bed and linen closets.
- ... Engineering: 6 foot long. Diesel generator centered. Hydraulic pumps and resevoir tank on one side. Compressor and tools on the other side.
- Drive System: Hydraulic Motors
- Battery Power: 32 batteries wired to 24v system (perhaps 12 and 24)
- Generator: Diesel (smallest I can find, no more than 2 foot diameter, maybe longer than 2 foot)
- Fuel Supply: 5 tanks. 1 foot x 1 1/2 foot x 3 1/2 foot sealed pressurized type (most likey: 10 tanks 12 inch x 18 inch x 18 inch)
- Fresh Water (not drinking): 1 tank. 1 foot x 1 1/2 foot x 3 1/2 foot (most likey: 2 tanks: 12 x 18 x 18)
- Septic Tank: 1 tank. 1 foot x 1 1/2 foot x 3 1/2 foot
(most likely: 2 tanks: 12 x 18 x 18)
- Life Support: 4 main oxygen tanks (acetylene tank sized) and 1 reserve. Mains are 6-8 inch diameter x 4 1/2 - 5 feet long. Reserves are @12 inch diameter x 4 1/2 - 5 feet long.
- Scrubber Ventilation System: should support 3 people for 72 hours per scrubber. Depending on dimensions of the scrubbers, probably 6 - 12 extras aboard. Not sure the dimensions of the scrubber yet.
- Air Tanks: 4 main and 1 reserve (same sized as the breathing tanks)
- Visibility: 6 viewports and 12 cameras, means 17 viewports in all (cameras installed in viewports). Mains will be about 8 inch diameter 2 inch thick 1 inner 1 outer. Cam ports 4 inch diameter 2 inch thick 1 outer only (maybe 1 inch thick would be sufficiant)
- Navigational Aids: 6 fish finder / depth sonars, 1 GPS, 1 underwater map CD ROM (if I can find it)
- Emergency Equipment: 4 scuba gear from air tanks to flippers, 2 6v flashlights, etc.
Design Summary thus far:
I figured the maximum depth I could possibly want to go would be around 500 feet, which of course is quite deep. According to material I have read, it is best to design for 2x the depth and test at 1.5x the depth. So I must design for a crush depth of 1000 feet and test the design at 750 feet. I would also like to install a depth limiter, which when below a depth, say 600 feet, it would close a circuit and pump air into the ballast tanks. As long as the sub is at or below 600 feet the air would continue to pump into the ballast tanks, either or both the main and dive tanks. This would pretty much force the sub to surface, to an extent. Then you would have to re-adjust the neutral bouyancy. Basically reset the sub's tanks.
The sub will be a one atmosphere sub, of course. Unless I can find a better way, I will utilize scrubbers to remove CO2. I would like to have 2 sensors and one gauge related to the CO2 level within the cabin. One sensor would turn the scrubber system on when the CO2 level reached 1.5. And the other sensor would work as the depth limiter worked. It would be set at 4, because I believe the Coast Guard set 5 as the maximum. While the sensor detects a level of CO2 at 4 or more, it would close the circuit that pumps air into the ballast tanks. Quite possibly the same circuit, this would just be an alternate trigger.
I may also put, or would also like to find, a tigger that sensed the atmosphere. If the atmosphere is less than 90% or greater than 110% it would activate the "emergency surface" circuit.
The Bridge will contain all main automated sub controls. There are viewports forward, up, left, right, diagonally left down, and diagonally right down. The desk will be 16 inches from the walls and approximately 30 inches from the floor. The desk will basically surround the front half of the Bridge where a swiveling Captain's chair will reside. Directly in front will be a forward facing viewport. Just below the viewport will be the forward sonar panel. Just above the viewport will be the rear sonar panel. Just on either side of the viewport, on the desk, will be the main panels. Along the top edges of the panels will be gauges, and along the bottom edge will be the controls. In the right corner of the desk will be the desktop computer monitor. The CPU will sit on the floor. The keyboard and mouse will be on the right desk. In the left corner will be the camera monitor. On top of the camera monitor will be the multiplexer, which allows the viewing of multiple cameras at a time. For now the left desk is bare. On the right wall is the right sonar, the left wall is the left sonar. The down sonar will be just below the forward sonar. Slightly forward of the upper viewport will be the upward facing sonar. The main purpose for the upward facing sonar is to detect ships that maybe above the sub, to prevent surfacing under a ship. There will be 12 cameras piped into the multiplexer. One directly forward, in the nose. One diagonally facing forward / down / left, in the nose. One diagonally forward / down / left, in the nose. One directly facing left, center of hull length. One facing directly right, center of hull length. One directly facing down, center of hull length. One directly facing up, center hull length. One facing rear, slightly angled down, bottom side of rudder. One facing rear, top side of rudder. One facing forward in the conning tower. One facing left in the conning tower. One facing right, in the conning tower. Each camera viewport has a light, which gives 12 lights, facing the same directions as the cameras. On the upper side of the hull the will be standard ship lighting. On the left wall between the desk and the back wall, will house the GPS and radio(s), and probably storage compartments. On the right walls, between the desk and back wall, will be the power distribution panel. Each pair of batteries will be put in series, creating 16 24v batteries. Each negative will be grounded. Each positive of the battery groups will be wired to the power distribution panel to recepticles. Each of the generators will be wired to the panel to recepticles as well. Each system will have 2 recepticles. Hydraulic pumps will be one system. Bridge power will be another system. Radio power will be another system. Ventilation will be another system. Lighting will be another system. There will be "jumper wires" that plug into each recepticle to wire systems to batteries. Each of the systems will have 2 recepticles to be able to transfer to another cell without cutting power. I presume the hydraulic system will consume the most power. The aft 16 cells, 8 groups, will be used for the hydraulic system. The other 16 cells, 8 groups, will be used to power the other systems. Also on the power distribution panel will have a battery gauge. Connecting a battery recepticle to the battery gauge will allow the reading of the power level within a group of batteries. I will probably have 10 or 12 "jumper wires". The extras can be stored below the panel. If needed, it would be possible to put 2 or more systems on a cell. If I end up having to do this, it must be time to surface! Or maybe draw from 2 systems could be tied together because the draw is so low. I would also like each viewport to have an emergency hatch that could be placed on the viewport if water is seen on the inner pane. I will put a "grate" or chicken wire over the outside of the viewport. I read about a sub sinking because a log had crashed a viewport window out. I would like to minimize this risk. It may make viewing difficult, but I rather be safe and not sink my sub. Besides, I may end up looking thru the cameras most often.
The Boarding Room is where the conning tower is, hence the name Boarding Room. Also in the Boarding Room will be the emergency equipment and the ventilation scrubber system. In each of the four corners will be a closet where a full scuba gear will be stored. From the air tanks to the flippers. On the left side, facing forward, in the center will be the ventilation scrubber system. I am guessing at most a scrubber will be around 2 foot x 2 foot x 6 inches. Each room will have and intake that can be closed off from just above the output vent. This will close all intakes except the intake in the Boarding Room. Each intake will be on the left side, near the ceiling. The vent fan will be located above the cutoff valve. On either side of the ventilation system, will be storage for additional scrubbers. If I can find CO2 sensor(s), they will be located near the fan. On the right side will be storage for other emergency equipment. Then of course there is the ladder to the conning tower. Most likely a detachable ladder that I could bungy to the roof.
Then we move to the Galley. The left side would be the pantry and utensile cabinets. Perhaps a small frig would be located on the left side as well. On the right side would be a sink and a camping stove. Propane. Not much choice, unless I make it electric, off of the 24v batteries. I shall see if I can find an element that works on 24v. Either way, I would only do cooking while surfaced, with the hatch open. I wouldn't want any fumes or odors, even from the food, to fill the cabin. I would hate to waste the CO2 scrubbers scrubbing CO2 from some food. I dunno if food actually does produce CO2, but tis better to be safe than sorry. I will probably mostly store foods that don't require heating.
Latrine, or bathroom. A simple bathroom with toilet on the left and sink on the right. Water pumps from the fresh water tank to use in the sink. The toilet will be similar to those used in like a greyhound bus. Has a sprung valve on the inside that is normally closed to prevent odors from coming out. When enough weight from water and waste rests on the sprung valve it opens allowing the waste to go into the septic tank. A hose from a "pooper scooper" truck can be inserted into the toilet into the tank to pump out the sewer and refilled with septic fluids. I don't think it is legal to pump waste into the ocean.
The Quarters. The beds are 2 foot wide 6 foot long. If I can find air mattresses great. Other wise, they will be 8 inch foam. A the foot of each bed, closest to Engineering, is 2 foot wide closets. 2 foot off the floor. The lower 4 foot will be for hanging clothes. The upper 2 foot will be for other clothing and will span the entire length of the room. There is one bed on each side, in case I have visitors, or I want a wider bed. But there is a 2 foot wide gap? I will have a center piece that will normally be attached to the roof, probably bungied. It will rest on rails mounted to the front side of the bed frames. This will create a 6 foot x 6 foot bed. Big enough for me I think.
Engineering. The engine / generator will be one of two types. Either will be a diesel generator that will most likely put out AC, which I will plug 2 battery chargers and wire to the power distribution panel on the Bridge. Or it will be a diesel engine that I chain drive 2 alternators, which have internal or external regulators, and wire to the PDP. On the right side, rear corner will be the air compressor. If the generator outputs AC, then the compressor will have to have an electric motor that I plug into the generator. If it is the other type, I will chain drive the compressor. The compressor may or may not have its own tank. But from the compressor, I will pipe it to each air tank and valve accordingly. If the compressor is chain driven, one valve will open to the cabin to reduce the build up of air pressure within the compressor and reduce strain on the diesel engine. If it is AC type, then I will simply have an on / off switch and I can turn the compressor off when not needed, there by reducing strain on the engine. I will rig a switch on the conning tower hatch, so if the hatch is closed, the fuel pump will not operate. Which will prevent the engine from running while the conning tower is closed. On the right side, front corner will be tool storage / toolbox. On the left side is the Hydraulic system. In the rear corner will be the reservoir. In the front corner will be the 2 hydraulic pumps. Only one is in use at a time. The other is for back up needs. They will be piped in parallel. If I can find a hydraulic pressure tank, it will be placed in the corner and the pumps will be mounted on the center left wall. Along the roof, in the center, will be an I beam, no more than 6 inch x 2 inch, that runs from Engineering to the Boarding Room. The I beam will only be broken to allow doors to close. The I beam will allow a rolling chain winch to slide from Engineering to the Boarding Room. This will assist in the installation and replacement of any heavy equipment within the sub, like the diesel engine. I will also store spare parts in Engineering in case they are needed, like hydraulic motors.
Doors. Doors will be 2 foot wide x 5 foot tall x 1/2 inch thick. The doors will be opened or closed via closed hydraulic system, or mechanically geared. The doors will be controlled from the side closest to the Boarding Room. The doors may not stop water entirely, but they may slow it down. The Engineering door is normally closed. I have considered rearranging the cabin and sliding the conning tower further back, to be more centered. The way I currently have it designed, if a failure occurs in the Bridge, time will be very short in an emergency. I am uncertain how much time would be bought with these efforts anyways. But something is better than nothing. Perhaps the few seconds bought may be enough time to put on the scuba gear. Probably a geared crank / cable system would be best. The crank and cabling could be on the side that the dorr doesnt retract. The cables could run on the top and bottom sides of the door.
