Bathyscaphe - what is it? Design

If you've ever watched the famous films of the Cousteau team about the underwater world, then you could not help remembering the amazing, space-craft-like underwater vehicles - bathyscaphes. So what is interesting about a bathyscaphe, what is it possible to investigate using it? With the help of these vessels, a person can immerse himself in ocean depths for scientific observation and knowledge of the mysterious depths of the World Ocean.

Etymology of the name

By its name, the bathyscaphe is due to Auguste Piccard, the inventor who devised this apparatus. The word is formed from a pair of Greek words, which mean "ship" and "deep". In 2018, the "deep-water vessel" will celebrate its 80th anniversary.

Invention of the bathyscaphe

Piccard invented a deep-water apparatus shortly after the end of World War II, in 1948. The predecessors of bathyscaphes were bathyspheres - deep-sea apparatus in the form of a ball. The first such vessel was invented in America in the 30-ies of the twentieth century and skilfully sank to a depth of 1000 meters.

The difference between bathyscaphe and bathysphere is that the former are able to move independently in the water column. Although the speed of movement is small and is 1-3 knots, but this is enough to perform the scientific and technical tasks assigned to the apparatus.

Before the war, the Swiss was working on a stratospheric balloon, and he came up with the idea to make a submarine vessel similar to the principles of a device with such flying devices as a dirigible and an aerostat. Only for a bathyscaphe, instead of an aerostat balloon, which is filled with gas, the balloon must be filled with some substance having a density less than the density of water. Thus, the principle of operation of the bathyscaphe resembles a float.

Bathyscaphe device

How is the bathyscaph, what is a gondola and a float? The design of various models of bathyscaphes is similar to each other and includes two parts:

• Lightweight body, or as it is called - float;
• A solid body, or a so-called gondola.

The main purpose of the float is to keep the bathyscaphe at the required depth. For this purpose, several compartments are equipped in a light shell, filled with a substance that has a lower density than that of salt water. The first bathyscaphes were filled with gasoline, while modern ones use other fillers - various composite materials.

Scientific equipment, various control and support systems, the crew of the bathyscaphe are housed inside a strong case. Spherical gondolas were originally made of steel.

Modern submarine vessels have a rugged body made of titanium, aluminum alloys or composite materials. They are not subject to corrosion and satisfy the strength requirements.

What is risky diving on a bathyscaphe?

The main problem of all deep-sea vehicles and submarines is a huge water pressure, increasing with depth. The body squeezes more and more strongly, and the bathyscaphe locator evenly plunges down.

Insufficiently strong hull of the submarine can be deformed or destroyed, which will lead to flooding of the vessel and loss of expensive research equipment and loss of life. Insufficiently qualitatively designed life support systems, rechargeable batteries, a large number of complex electronics, chemicals and materials from the compression of the housing at great depths increase the likelihood of fire and emergencies.

In addition, the limited possibilities in reviewing the space around the apparatus carry the threat of collision of a bathyscaphe with rocks or other obstacles. The latitude of the bathyscaphe, which is uniformly submerged vertically in the water column, can not always be detected due to the peculiarities of the propagation of acoustic waves in the aquatic environment.

So diving this vessel is a complex and responsible operation, requiring careful and advance preparation.

Next, let's talk about the first bathyscaphe, what is this device, its technical characteristics and interesting facts.

The first bathyscaphes

The first bathyscaphe, invented by O. Piccard, was called "FNRS-2", served in the French navy for 5 years and was disabled in 1953. As a filler in this unit, gasoline was used, which has a density of 1.5 times lower than that of water.

The cabin of the bathyscaphe, as in aeronautics, called the gondola, had a spherical shape and a wall thickness of 90 mm. Two people could freely settle in it.

The main disadvantage of FNRS-2 was the location of the hatch for entering the bathyscaphe. He was in the underwater part of the apparatus. Enter and leave the gondola bathyscaphe could only be if the device was on a carrier vessel.

The second model of the bathyscaphe was FNRS-3. This apparatus has been used for deep-water research since 1953 and up to the 70s of the twentieth century. This ship became a museum. Currently, FNRS-3 is located in France, in Toulon.

According to engineering calculations, the device, like its predecessor, could sink to a depth of 4 kilometers. The vessel had the same design with the FNTS-2 gondola, but otherwise the model was significantly refined.

Specifications

Bathyscaphes of different generations can be compared with their technical characteristics.

Bathyscaphe "Trieste"

What is this bathyscaphe famous for, what kind of a vessel can this be more closely understood? At the "Trieste" in early 1960, the first dive was made to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. This operation, code-named "Project Necton" was conducted by the US Navy in collaboration with the son of the inventor of the bathyscaphe Jacques Picard.

Despite the stormy weather on January 26, the first in the history of mankind dive at 10900 meters. The main discovery made by researchers on this day is life at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

Bathyscaphe Deepsea Chalanger

This device, named after the deep-sea basin, is famous for the fact that it was in March 2012 that James Cameron made a deep-water dive . The famous film director on March 26 reached the bottom of the Challenger Abyss - another name for the Mariana Trench.

This was the fourth descent in the deepest point of the ocean in the history of mankind, remarkable for being the longest in time and committed by one person. The bathyscapher's locator, evenly sinking vertically into the abyss, surveyed the bottom, and the director gained inspiration to create the continuation of the fantastic film "Avatar."

Bathyscapher Locator

The hydroacoustic station is a bathyscaphe locator that evenly examines the water column and detects rocks, the bottom and other obstacles. This is perhaps the only way to "see", or rather "hear" under water. The bathyscapher's locator, evenly submerged to the depth, is essentially the ears of the apparatus.

Incidents with bathyscaphes

In August 2005, the coastal waters of the Russian Navy flooded off the coast of Kamchatka. A deep-water vehicle with a crew of seven people was entangled in fishing nets at a depth of about 200 meters.

Rescue ships arrived at the scene of the incident, who tried to move the bathyscaphe to shallower depths, then to carry out the rescue operation with the help of divers. After unsuccessful attempts, the Russian sailors turned to their British colleagues.

A joint Russian-British rescue operation using a deep-water robot was successful, the entire crew was saved, and the bathyscaphe was raised to the surface.