this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2023
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Interesting - I had imagined it being imploded into bits like the simulations on the news show.
I believe this is the outer portion. The carbon fiber shell imploded and is probably not recoverable.
I'm certainly no expert but I understand submarines have an inner and outer hull. The inner hull has to withstand the pressure of the deep but the outer hull does not. The inner hull would be crushed into bits but the outer hull and any equipment in-between would likely be ripped into large chunks as such a violent event occurs inside of it.
Subs have dual hulls so they can fill the void between them with water to sink, or air to float, but they don’t dive anywhere near as deep. Most regular naval subs operate above 800 meters. They only have to be below the surface of the water for stealth, not at the bottom of the ocean.
This craft was a single hull design as far as I’m aware, designed with a rigid hull to try and counteract the pressure at the bottom.
Yeah, double hull might not be correct for what I'm trying to describe, as I know the Titan used ballast weights to sink rather than flooding void spaces. But in every picture I've seen of the thing so far, the outer layer looks like it was a sort of shroud to protect against more conventional sources of damage (read: bumping into shit). I could be entirely wrong about that, and should probably have refrained from commenting.
Yes, from what I’ve seen, I think that is a correct assessment. They had the carbon fibre “pressure hull” with titanium end caps, and a shroud around the outside, probably to help pretty it up, and hide wiring and protect from minor damage and such. Please don’t refrain from commenting, it’s how we learn more. I’ve always had an interest in submersibles even as a young one, so while I wished the Titan had survived, I think there were too many cowboy-style design decisions made, probably for economics rather than safety (obviously not the way to go at 4KM down).
The outer shell didn't hold pressure and was there to cover wires/ equipment exposed outside the pressure vessel.
Why would you put any faith in a simulation by an organization that has no knowledge of the domain?
If the whole thing managed to not rupture, then sure, it could have imploded like it was thrown in a crusher. However, once there is a rupture, the water has a new avenue for entry. So depending how fast it all went and how exactly it first broke, water could have rushed in before completely crumpling, equalizing the pressure. Kinda looks pancaked to me rather than becoming a singularity