Fathom’s Insight

Throughout the text reference is made to a variety of books, articles and reports dealing with specific design aspects or operations of submersibles. For the reader who might be interested in only one vehicle or particular components of submersibles, the following books or reports, though referenced later, are noted:

GENERAL LISTINGS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF MANNED SUBMERSIBLES

• Terry, R.D. 1966 The Deep Submersible. Western Periodicals Co., North Hollywood, Caiif., 456 pp.
• Shenton, E.H. 1972 Diving for Science. W.W. Norton & Co., New York (describes the major components of submersibles in non-technical terms)

SPECIFIC SUBMERSIBLE DIVING HISTORY AND DESIGN

Beebe, W. 1934 Half Mile Down. Harcourt, Brace & Co., New York (contruction and diving history of the bathysphere)

• Piccard, A. 1954 In Balloon and Bathyscaphe. Cassell & Co. Ltd., London (FNRS-2 and TRIESTE 1)
• Houot, G.S. and Willhm, P.H. 1955 2,000 Fathoms Down. E.P. Dutton & Co., New York (FNRS-3)
• Cousteau, J.Y. 1956 The Living Sea. Harper & Row, New York (early history of SP-350)
• Piccard, J. and Dietz, R.S. 1960 Seven Miles Down. G.P. Putname’s Sons, New York (TRI-ESTE 1 and the events leading to its record dive)
• Shenton, E.H. 1968 Exploring the Ocean Depths. W.W. Norton & Co., New York (Scientific diving of SP-350)
• Piccard, J. 1971 The Sun Beneath the Sea. Charles Scribners’s Sons, New York (AUGUSTE PICCARD, BEN FRANKLIN, and the Gulf Stream Drift Mission)
• Link, M.C. 1973 Windows in the Sea. Smithsonian Instriution Press DEEP DIVER, JOHNSON-SEA-LINK, and other undersea activities of Mr. Edwin Link

The Woods Hole Oceanogrwaphic Institution beginning in 1960 issued yearly reports on the design, construction, operations and modifications to ALVIN. The first 2 years deal with ALUMINANT, which at that time was a cooperative venture between the Navy and Reynolds International, but from 1963 on through 1970 they deal only with ALVIN. These reports are entitled Deep Submergence Research and each covers a calendar year during the above period. Unfortunately they are not widely disseminated, but are available atat WHOI and may be found in university libraries where oceanographic courses are offered.. Careful reading of these is literally a course in deep submergence components and the painful progress of making a manned submersible a useful scientific tool. One of the deficiencies with most reports describing modifications to submersibles is that the author tells what has been changed but not why it was changed or what was the problem. The WHOI reports, on the other hand, provide all such details, and they explain each change in detail: Why each was made, what the component or system was lacking and how the new approach is intended to improve the vehicle, its support platform and its launch/retrieval system. They constitute, in substance, a technological stroll through deep submergence problems and developments of the sixties.

Another series of reports, also not readily available, are the handbooks issued by the U.S. Navy’s Deep Ocean Technology (DOT) Program. Recognizing the severe problems in various electrical and mechanical components in manned deep submersibles, the Navy began this program in the late sixties, and the results are profitable reading for both present and future submersibles operators and designers. The various components investigated can be seen in the list below. Each handbook summarizes the problems with available components, solutions to some problems and recommendations for surmounting others. The reports are limited in distribtuion to those who have a legitimate need for such data, and requests should be address to:

• Defense Documentation Center
  Cameron Station
  Alexandra, VA, 22314

As of 1974 the following handbooks have been issued which pertain manned submersibles.

• Handbook of Electric Cable Technology for Deep Ocean Application. NSRDL (A), 6-54/70, Nov. 1970. AD 877-774
• Rotary Shaft-Seal Selection Handbook for Pressure Equalized, Deep Ocean Equipment. NSRDC(A), 7-753, Oct. 1971. AD 889-330(L.)
• Handbook of Vehicle Electric Penetrators, Connectors and Harnesses for Deep Ocean Applications. NAVSEC, July 1971. AD 888-281.
• Handbook of Fluids and Lubricants for Deep Ocean Applications. NSRDC(A) MAT-LAB 360, Rev. 1972. AD AD 893-990.
• Handbook of Fluid Filled, Depth/Pressure Compensating Systems for Deep Ocean Applications. NSRDV(A) 27-8, April 1972. AD 894-795.
• Handbook of Electrical and Electronic Circuit-Interrupting and Protective Devices for Deep Ocean Applications. NSRDC(A), 6-67, Nov. 1971. AD 889-829.
• Handbook of Underwater Imaging System Design. NUC TP 303, July 1972 AD 904-472(L).

SUBMERSIBLE WORK AND INSTRUMENTS 

Excluding the DOT handbooks, all of the publications listed above contain accounts of various work performed by the particular submersibles. Additionally, the references in Chapter 11 relate specific work accomplishments by a variety of submersibles. Noteworthy, is reference (1) of Chapter 11, which summarized all of the published scientific accounts of submersible work through 1970. A popularized version of submersibles and their accomplishments is contained in:

• Soule, G. 1968 Undersea Frontiers.Rand McNally & Company, New York

The references in Chapter 11 also describe, to varying degrees, the instruments used to perform certain tasks. The best single reference for work tools is Winget’s report (ref. 6 Chap. 11) which not only describes a wide array of work tools, but also provides the manufacturer’s name and address for each component used in each device described. This report can only be described as a goldmine for the builder or designer of submersible work equipment.

Since the seventies most of the literature describing submersible work is relatively sparse. Perhaps because the work is no longer mainly scientific and may be considered proprietary information by the user. Virtually all recent accounts merely describe the job as pipeline inspection, cable burial, or the like, with details of the why, how and performance of the vehicle and tools omitted. Likewise, are accounts of submersible scientific endeavors sparse regarding performance of vehicles and instruments. Reports of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Manned Undersea Science and Technology Program relate what work was done, why and, when possible, its scientific implications, but nothing regarding the performance, problems or solution is including. Such omissions, though clearly a prerogative of the user, are unfortunately, because identifying and making known the problem areas of submersibles is the only means of providing direction or goals to the designer of future vehicles.