Bathyscaphe

The bathyscaphes are underwater machines of abyssal exploration.

In service of 1948 with 1982, they were the only machines able to reach more the great depths (- 10 916 meters, in the pit of Mariannes, the January 23rd, 1960). Invented by the professor Auguste Piccard, a bathyscaphe consists of a heavy spherical cabin in Acier, being able to accommodate two or three passengers, suspended with a float filled with light gasoline which compensates for the Poids of the unit according to the Archimedes' principle. The bathyscaphe goes down by gravitation and goes up by releasing ballast.
Because of their size and their weight, the bathyscaphes could not be embarked and were to be towed by their ship of accompaniment. They were replaced by Submersible S smaller and more handy (sphere in Titane and composite float in ).

The word bathyscaphe , invented by professor Piccard in 1946, comes from the Greek bathos (deep) and from skaphê (boat). Before, professor Piccard used the word thalassosphère to name his invention.

Records

January 23rd 1960, 13:06: the WORN bathyscaphe Trieste reaches the depth record of 37.800 feet (11 521 meters), value of the internal indicators. This value later was corrected and brought back to approximately 35.800 feet (10 912 meters) (in the pit of Mariannes).

Operation

Contrary to the Underwater , conceived to move on the horizontal level and to balance in diving its weight with the push of Archimedes, the bathyscaphe is practically deprived of propulsion (it is equipped only with one engine of operation) and goes down in immersion, being “heavier than water”.

In addition:

  • the spherical cockpit is at least reduced to decrease the weight while resisting the very strong pressures,

  • buoyancy on the surface east ensured by a liquid of density lower than water (of the gasoline) in the ballasts (filled of air in a submarine).

To go down, the bathyscaphe replaces the gasoline its ballasts by sea water, which causes to increase the Poids machine which becomes higher than the Poussée of Archimedes. To go up, it releases a ballast made up of shot of Fer. The weight decreases and becomes lower than thorough of Archimedes.

The cockpit is a sphere in Acier of a interior Diamètre of approximately two meters. To ensure resistance to the abyssal Pressure S, its thickness varies from nine to fifteen centimetres. Inside, the crew saw with the Atmospheric pressure normal.

Illustration: Sphere of the Trieste manufactured in Italy by “Tarnished”. One can notice the port-hole and, around, the twelve exits for the electric cables and the pipes hydraulic; in top on the left, the end lower of a shot silo with its electromagnetic order

The float, built in Steel and Aluminum, contains a gasoline lighter than water. To avoid its crushing during the diving, the float is open in its low part for équiliber the pressures internal and external. So the stucture is relatively light. The gasoline was selected because economic and Liquide, whereas the Gaz are too compressible for a very major diving.

Various bathyscaphes

FNRS 2

After an interruption due to the Second world war, the Swiss professor Auguste Piccard of the university of Brussels resumes his work on a machine of abyssal exploration. In 1948, it designs its first bathyscaphe and baptizes it FNRS 2 in recognition at the “Bottoms national for the Belgian scientific research” which always supported it. The funds, sufficient for a first submarine, do not allow the construction of an elaborate bathyscaphe. FNRS 2 does not have a well of access for the crew from surface, and the float, tiny room to the function of gasoline envelope, does not have the structure for a towing.

The sphere cast then was turned to the steel-works “Henricot” (Belgium) in two hemispheres. It weighs 11 tons and resists an immersion of 4.000 meters. Its internal diameter is of 2,10 meters. Its thickness of 9 centimetres is increased to 15 centimetres close to the two port-holes. The latter are truncated and manufactured in Polymethylmethacrylate. The float consists of seven tanks adding up 30 cubic meters of gasoline protected by an iron sheet hull from a millimetre thickness. The bathyscaphe is assembled with Antwerp (Belgium) by the “Mercantile Marine Engineering Co”.

Without to be tested, FNRS 2 embarks for Dakar (Senegal) where the French National marine lends her contest, then it is directed towards the islands of the Cape Verde where will be realized the tests. A first diving with 25 meters quickly will show the limits of the choices which were made. The first passengers (Auguste Piccard and Theodore Monod) are locked up in the sphere whereas the bathyscaphe is still on board its building support. FNRS 2 is put at flood then begins the long one and delicate operation of the filling of the gasoline tanks. For an effective diving of fifteen minutes, it is necessary to carry out the operations opposite. The passengers are released only at the end of twelve hours. The second test, carried out a few days later without passenger, automatically sends the submarine to 1.380 meters of depth. The return, the sea which changed does not allow the operations of loading. It is with a definitively damaged float that the bathyscaphe was towed and finishes this trial run.

FNRS 2 showed the validity of the bathyscaphe, and also the need for building a submarine which must be towed. Nevertheless, not having had a human record, the public opinion is shared enough. The concept of the bathyscaphe will owe its survival only with the determination of professor Piccard and the interest which carries to him some officers of the French National marine.

FNRS 3

During the months which follow the divings of FNRS 2 , the future of the bathyscaphe is dubious. The float is destroyed, the sphere is stored with Toulon (France). In 1950, a convention is signed between the Fund for the Belgian scientific research (FNRS), owner of the sphere, and the French National marine. The FNRS finances a new bathyscaphe which is built by the National marine. The submarine is baptized FNRS 3 .

The commander Georges Houot is named ordering bathyscaphe. After three major divings, it will belong to the National marine. The professor Piccard is named adviser technical but does not direct any more the project. The work conditions becoming increasingly difficult between the National marine and Auguste Piccard, this last leaves the project.

The sphere used by FNRS 3 is that of FNRS 2 . The float is produced by the arsenal of Toulon. Its silhouette points out that of a traditional Sous-marin. The length is of 16 meters and the width is of 3,35 meters. It consists of thirteen tanks including two of balancing and one of dropping, adding up nearly 80 cubic meters of gasoline. It has a bath-tub where the well of access to the sphere emerges, and it is equipped with stabilizing ailerons laid out on both sides of the cabin.

In summer 1953, Georges Houot (pilot) and Pierre Willm (engineer) start the tests of FNRS 3 in the Mediterranean. They reach 2.100 meters quickly. With this series of diving, FNRS 3 is officially transferred to France on September 24th, 1953. At the beginning of 1954 begins a campaign with broad Dakar (Senegal) which culminates with a diving with 4.050 meters on February 15th, which constitutes a record and the major diving of FNRS 3 . In the years which follow, of many scientists work aboard bathyscaphe. FNRS 3 is disarmed in 1960 after having carried out 93 major divings.

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