Titan’s implosion may have been due to a weakening of its structure
- June 23, 2023
- 0
The “catastrophic explosion” that hit the Titan tourist submersible during its journey to the Titanic wreck may be the result of a “slow and gradual weakening of the
The “catastrophic explosion” that hit the Titan tourist submersible during its journey to the Titanic wreck may be the result of a “slow and gradual weakening of the chamber material” due to high external pressures from previous deep dives, EFE said this Friday Roger. Garcia, director of operations at the Aquarius submarine base in Florida.
“Based on the wreckage found, it appears that the pressure chamber of the submersible could not withstand the high pressure at such depths, up to 5800 pounds (2633 kg),” which caused an “instantaneous explosion,” he stressed. , Florida International University (FIU), diving safety officer.
“Perhaps, unfortunately, this time the pressure chamber did not give more. But we hope that an official investigation can provide the answers that families need.” “The crew didn’t even have time to think about what was going on,” he said.
The explosion would have instantly killed five passengers on the submersible, which has been missing in North Atlantic waters since last Sunday, leading to four days of timed searching.
This Thursday, the US Coast Guard announced that “wreckage” found near the site of the discovery of the remains of the Titanic, consistent with the outer part of Titan.
Pakistani businessman Shahzada Daoud and his son Suleman were in the car; British explorer Hamish Harding; French explorer Paul-Henri Nargolet and CEO of OceanGate Stockton Rush.
SLOW CAMERA LOCK
“Although (Titan) has dived to these depths before, each time it dived underwater, the pressure gradually weakened the material in the chamber,” said the expert, an experienced diver with more than 20 years of experience in the US Navy. .
The pressure difference at these depths is so great that “it can lead to catastrophic destruction of the structure of the pressure chamber of the underwater vehicle.”
Although it is still very difficult to determine exactly when and how this catastrophic failure occurred, Garcia elaborated that if the explosion was not the cause, “the real problem is not available oxygen.”
The problem in this second scenario of possible loss of energy on board will be carbon dioxide, since levels of this gas, reaching 10%, are very toxic and deadly, he says.
Regarding the reliability of submersibles like the Titan, he notes that “there are always risks” and that in the case of this submersible, “there are many variables in terms of construction and certification procedures that need to be assessed.”
TESTS, CERTIFICATION AND DESIGN
He explains that, for example, the 62-foot-deep (19 meters) Aquarius Underwater Research Laboratory in Key Largo “was built to comply with federal pressure chamber laws” and is tested annually, with a special one every three.
“We don’t know what they did in this case,” he says, referring to the Titan, but the incident will lead to a “revision of the design of these submersibles and the type of checks,” he adds.
In fact, the dangers associated with an expedition like that of Titan are the same as those of Aquarius, only at a shallower depth.
In other words, “Communication can be lost, water can enter the pressure chamber, implosion, explosion, fire can occur, oxygen can be lost, carbon dioxide can rise to toxic levels, etc.,” he says.
In this sense, the FIU-dependent Aquarius is like a submarine, or a submersible “but it doesn’t move”, a stationary laboratory on the bottom of the sea where “we can train people and give them the experience of being inside a submarine”. , in addition to being briefed on the “problems that may arise inside a submarine and the laws of construction” of these vehicles.
“That’s why it’s so important to consider these variables when designing and building a submersible,” he warns.
The mission to go down to see the remains of the Titanic, which sank in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg, was the responsibility of OceanGate Expeditions, the owner and operator of the submersible used for the deep sea expeditions.
(EFE)
Source: Aristegui Noticias
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