5 ms·

Why is the drop dependent on the battery? Why in the world wouldn't they be held on electromagnetically so if the battery goes kaput the weights immediately dro

Why is the drop dependent on the battery? Why in the world wouldn't they be held on electromagnetically so if the battery goes kaput the weights immediately drop?

lesuorac 3y ago
Well, as the article explained. There was a non-battery backup. > “We had special weights on the submersible that will dissolve after 24 hours so they will just drop off and then we would be able to get back to the surface.”
- stevenhubertron 3y ago
  Not really a backup. If they were over a deeper trench the sub would sink for 24 hours over the depth limit and cruse. Still more risk than is sane.
heavenlyblue 3y ago
I think they didn't do that because they would need to have that system independent of the system inside the submarine or otherwise they would need to drill holes in the main hull to provide power for that. Given the fact that the aystem was controlled by a cheap controller pretty sure they didn't spend that much money on the weight drop system either.
CoastalCoder 3y ago
Maybe it's just a good idea that didn't occur to them? (Not being snarky, I'm curious too.) Related: Is there a way to design an electromagnetic coupling that only uses significant power when it needs to work hard to maintain the connection? Because otherwise I could see battery drain being an issue.
- kayodelycaon 3y ago
  The electromagnet only needs to hold a latch, not the full weight of the batteries. The Deepsea Challenger used such a system.
johnwalkr 3y ago
Probably because simple electromagnetic locks use quite a bit of power continuously, and nobody with enough experience was involved to know that low-power electromagnetic latches and pin pullers exist.
bbor 3y ago
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush hired interns to design the Titan submersible's electrical system: Report https://m.timesofindia.com/etimes/trending/oceangate-ceo-stockton-rush-hired-interns-to-design-the-titan-submersibles-electrical-system-report/amp_articleshow/101482603.cms https://m.timesofindia.com/etimes/trending/oceangate-ceo-sto...
- occams_chainsaw 3y ago
  > Neither the student interns nor OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and its employees have commented regarding this report.
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    What do they expect to use, an Ouija board?
kumarvvr 3y ago
This is not energy efficient. A better way would haven been to have mechanical latches, that are connected to the weights and which use the battery to unlatch the locks. I am curious how the weights are wired, because you cant just run wires from inside the sub to outside. The pressure gradient is too high. So with mechanical cables holding the weights.

Why is the drop dependent on the battery? Why in the world wouldn't they be held on electromagnetically so if the battery goes kaput the weights immediately drop?

lesuorac 3y ago

Well, as the article explained. There was a non-battery backup. > “We had special weights on the submersible that will dissolve after 24 hours so they will just drop off and then we would be able to get back to the surface.”

stevenhubertron 3y ago
Not really a backup. If they were over a deeper trench the sub would sink for 24 hours over the depth limit and cruse. Still more risk than is sane.

heavenlyblue 3y ago

I think they didn't do that because they would need to have that system independent of the system inside the submarine or otherwise they would need to drill holes in the main hull to provide power for that. Given the fact that the aystem was controlled by a cheap controller pretty sure they didn't spend that much money on the weight drop system either.

CoastalCoder 3y ago

Maybe it's just a good idea that didn't occur to them? (Not being snarky, I'm curious too.) Related: Is there a way to design an electromagnetic coupling that only uses significant power when it needs to work hard to maintain the connection? Because otherwise I could see battery drain being an issue.

kayodelycaon 3y ago
The electromagnet only needs to hold a latch, not the full weight of the batteries. The Deepsea Challenger used such a system.

johnwalkr 3y ago

Probably because simple electromagnetic locks use quite a bit of power continuously, and nobody with enough experience was involved to know that low-power electromagnetic latches and pin pullers exist.

bbor 3y ago

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush hired interns to design the Titan submersible's electrical system: Report https://m.timesofindia.com/etimes/trending/oceangate-ceo-stockton-rush-hired-interns-to-design-the-titan-submersibles-electrical-system-report/amp_articleshow/101482603.cms https://m.timesofindia.com/etimes/trending/oceangate-ceo-sto...

occams_chainsaw 3y ago
> Neither the student interns nor OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and its employees have commented regarding this report.
- jacquesm 3y ago
  What do they expect to use, an Ouija board?

kumarvvr 3y ago

This is not energy efficient. A better way would haven been to have mechanical latches, that are connected to the weights and which use the battery to unlatch the locks. I am curious how the weights are wired, because you cant just run wires from inside the sub to outside. The pressure gradient is too high. So with mechanical cables holding the weights.