Hello. I would like to start off by saying that I know that this is crazy, but I want to just see the feasibility of such a project. So far I am not having much luck. I see that there are many RC Submarine tutorials on YouTube and I am gaining inspiration from them. I don't remember why I want to do this but I do. The plan would be to create a remote control submarine that is semi-intelligent, has a GPS module and a GSM module. I would use an international SIM card to communicate with my web server which would allow for two way communication. I know that the data would not work well if at all underwater, maybe I could have a small floating probe with the GSM antenna on it, or I could just not go anywhere below the surface and it would be a surface submarine (still fun to me). I would like to be able to control it to make a journey across the Atlantic ocean to my friend who lives in Germany. It is very much just an idea and I would love to hear any feedback, even if it is just a learning exercise.
Edit: I am thinking solar power as a recharging method.
If you want to do ocean crossing's I would forget about submarine and stay on the surface, use a satellite link for comms., there have been a few hobby vessels that have crossed oceans and some autonomous sail vessels (commercial research about 20 ft long) - plan on a couple of years for development, solar cells and rechargeable batteries for power - built tough - there was one a year or two back that went from I think San Francisco to Hawaii then almost to New Zealand - had a custom motor but should be able to find a commercial one - growth on hull and other parts will probably be an issue
I simply figured that it being a submarine would help with the fact that the seas can be so rough, by staying underneath the waves. I completely forgot about satellite comms, thank you.
Ok, that is a bit absurd for a project that someone is asking about in a forum like this. :o
HOWEVER, that said!
There is a rather cool propulsion concept for submarines. Sit on the surface and charge the batteries. Let water in until it has moderate to significant negative buoyancy, heavy and sinks. Control the angle of the bow giving it a slight down angle so that as the boat goes down it slides through the water. I don't know how much down angle on the bow is required, or how much flat area the boat needs to produce thrust. But the key is to use gravity and slide forward as you go down. When you reach the maximum depth, pump out some water until the boat has positive buoyancy and put the bow up. It again slides forward with very little energy. No screws, no propulsion motor, and essentially no noise at all. And very important: minimum hull penetrations.
There will probably be several up downs for each battery charge. Then you gotta to things like listen for noise and be sure you are below 50 or maybe 100 feet until the noise is gone. But now that is getting into one heck of a lot of planning and engineering. Far too much for any forum.
This would be a multi year project. And would probably make, and deserve, world news headlines if successful. You might catch the eye of the navy for several countries.
RealEngineerX:
I simply figured that it being a submarine would help with the fact that the seas can be so rough, by staying underneath the waves. I completely forgot about satellite comms, thank you.
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I think you need to spend some time with someone who has actually flown a submarine. I was informed by a retired submariner it is just as difficult to keep a submarine moving at a specified depth and going in the same direction as it is to fly an airplane. Both are moving through fluids of varying densities with currents and waves that make both machines twist and turn.
When you reach the maximum depth, pump out some water until the boat has positive buoyancy and put the bow up. It again slides forward with very little energy.
The concept of the conservation of energy means it takes a certain amount of energy to move the thing and I doubt that's the most efficient way of doing it. (You are pumping-out water against the pressure of the depth.)
A couple of problems with a submarine - If it's solar powered it needs maximum sun exposure so you'd want it on the surface all day. And, the more water you "push" the more energy you waste so submerged it takes the most energy. That's why speedboats skim across the surface with minimal water displacement.
However, you wouldn't need constant GPS communication... You could simply stick the antenna above the surface once per day and use a compass while under water to head in the right direction (regular-old dead reckoning).
I'd be surprised if you could power it with solar. I don't know if you could get enough energy to overcome current (or wind if it's not a sub) if the current/wind is in the opposite direction. I did some quick research and quick calculations, and it looks like you can about 1 horsepower from a 35 square-foot solar panel under ideal conditions (at noon on the equator). Feel free to double-check that. But, there is a solar-power car race in Australia so maybe a solar boat is also feasible.
However, we know a sailboat works... You could probably solar-charge the navigation & steering for a sailboat.
There is I think it is called a Sea Glider - under sea research vessel - developed by I think the University of Washington in Seattle WA - glides underwater by tilting the vessel - shifts weights (batteries I think) inside -
Delta_G:
May be a unique method of locomotion. Still can't beat conservation of energy. It's the law you know.
yes very efficient - was discussing the glider with a friend some time back and he founf it intreging - but was a bit upset that he had not thought of the idea
At least in America, we don't do conservation anymore. We're getting out of that whole thermodynamics thing. I mean maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. I don't know, I'm not a scientist.
Mmmm.... I think conservation of energy is the law of physics that there is the second-to-least chance of being a "workaround" for (the least likely being entropy, third least being light speed limit).
But that's beside the point.
GSM is a non-starter for open ocean - you need satellite comms. Cell phones rely on nearby base stations for connectivity - the open ocean lacks these.
That being said: this is a really cool project with so many angles to it, energy is just one. Navigation, propultion, servo motors, fall-back systems etc. etc.
like everything you have some choices,
with GPS, it can figure where it is.
if you know the ocean currents, you can float like a bottle and get across the Atlantic.
the glider would work like a balloon. it would control up and down, but direction would be greatly affected by the currents.
I think with some clever designs, you could come up with a rather low energy method of water displacement.
rise to the surface, charge the batteries, air compressor fills the tank. open the ballast tanks and submerge
at the depth, the pressurized air could displace water in the ballast tank and start to go positive.
as it rose, the air would expand rapidly to the point you would have to loose some air to prevent bobbing like a rocket.
really it would need to just keep in the proper currents to trans-navigate.
whatever you do, you could start and test in any body of water.
lastly, put your name and address, engrave the date and even put in some information about the civilization.
when it is found, it will be either a phone call, or some future civilization says see - SEE ! I told you there was an ancient civilization that rose to great heights of technology before life as we know it began...
RealEngineerX:
I simply figured that it being a submarine would help with the fact that the seas can be so rough, by staying underneath the waves. I completely forgot about satellite comms, thank you.
So what method were you expecting to use, that would allow you to control your submarine from 2000km+ away ?
Perhaps we shoould have a 'Fantasy Projects' forum ?
Paul_KD7HB:
I think you need to spend some time with someone who has actually flown a submarine. ...
The surface would be much easier.
Paul
Well by golly, now that you mentioned it, USS Lewis and Clark, SSBN 644, that would be me. And yes, I was a qualified planesman.
Keeping it on depth at anything more than a couple of knots was a breeze. Put it there and it mostly stayed there. Sometimes we would have a contest to see who could keep it at depth and on course with the least amount of input. We measured that by watching the hydraulic accumulators. (storage devices that kept hydraulic fluid at pressure so the pumps did not run all the time.)
However, that boat was a tab bit larger than what any individual might build for a project. Still, at a hundred feet down and more it was smooth sailing.
