Water as weight rather than lead?

[Seabear70]

Ok, couldn't you run a pipe sealed arround a piston on one end with an air tight plunger?

Essentially when you wanted less boyancy, retract the piston.

When you wanted more, extend the piston creating a vaccuum in the pipe.

the only downside I can see to this would of course be that the equipment would on a small scale probably be heavier than any appreciable lift you would gain.

 

[jhelmuth]

I can't beleive that his has gone on for so long... Andy, did you read my reply on looking at Archemedies principle? If so, what did you learn?

 

[TCDiver1]

you can use the steam to run a steam engine, which propells
the whole thing. and whatever surplus steam you have,
you store in a special steam vat for the next time you need
to move.

hope this helps.

Yup, that is exactly what it takes. A "special steam vat" as opposed to a "regular steam vat." The regular version of the "steam vat" just wouldn't do, in this particular situation.

And steam engine? Andy your killing me here! LOL!

 

[The Chairman]

I wonder if the special "steam vat" is in actuality an "esteem vat"? The more esteem you have, the more buoyant your personality.

 

[TCDiver1]

I wonder if the special "steam vat" is in actuality an "esteem vat"? The more esteem you have, the more buoyant your personality.

LOL ... bad, bad, bad! Your mind has to be a scary place Pete.

 

[H2Andy]

I can't beleive that his has gone on for so long... Andy, did you read my reply on looking at Archemedies principle? If so, what did you learn?

i'm so glad you asked:

you can take 12 lbs of water* into the water with you, and it will still weigh 12 lbs in the water.

however, it will displace 12 lbs of water, thus giving you no loss in bouyancy.

hence, "water" weights dunna work, man



*--less assume all "water" is fresh water

 

[Seabear70]

Yup, that is exactly what it takes. A "special steam vat" as opposed to a "regular steam vat." The regular version of the "steam vat" just wouldn't do, in this particular situation.

And steam engine? Andy your killing me here! LOL!

Actualy that is how a nuclear sub marine works. A nuclear reactor can be thought of as a fantastic heat source for a steamengine.

They run the steam throgh turbines to create electricity or push props, and then run it back into the resivour for cooling.

Steam is not generated off of the reactor for balast, but rather from the cooling process.

Come On guys, didn't you study nuclear physics and powerplant engineering? Or were you asleap in class?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Actualy that is how a nuclear sub marine works. A nuclear reactor can be thought of as a fantastic heat source for a steamengine.

They run the steam throgh turbines to create electricity or push props, and then run it back into the resivour for cooling.

Steam is not generated off of the reactor for balast, but rather from the cooling process.

Come On guys, didn't you study nuclear physics and powerplant engineering? Or were you asleap in class?

So where do they get their coolant?

(ducks to avoid flying objects)

The mere fact that this thread has engendered 20-something pages of responses and over 5,000 views has to tell y'all something here ...

... like that this is a discussion board, and not a courtroom, college class, or anything else nearly so serious as all that ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[CBulla]

i'm so glad you asked:

you can take 12 lbs of water* into the water with you, and it will still weigh 12 lbs in the water.

however, it will displace 12 lbs of water, thus giving you no loss in bouyancy.

hence, "water" weights dunna work, man



*--less assume all "water" is fresh water

Well, that takes the fun out! I was going to give you the "well, you may get a little weight from 1 gal of salt water if you were diving in fresh water" bit but that scenerio is gone

 

[TCDiver1]

Actualy that is how a nuclear sub marine works. A nuclear reactor can be thought of as a fantastic heat source for a steamengine.

They run the steam throgh turbines to create electricity or push props, and then run it back into the resivour for cooling.

Steam is not generated off of the reactor for balast, but rather from the cooling process.

Come On guys, didn't you study nuclear physics and powerplant engineering? Or were you asleap in class?

I think you missed the chain that was being yanked Seabear.

Steam "vat" and "steam engine" are not terms i'm familiar with in Navy nuclear engineering speak. But what the heck do i know, i'm just a regular Mechanical Engineer, not a special one. (Ps: that is another chain being yanked)

By the way, Andys question may sound silly on the surface but many of you would be surprised how many new and old divers don't completely understand the concept. Not everyone is naturally inclined to completely grasp such things.

I once had a very experienced diver strongly disagree when i tried to explain to him that if he flooded his drysuit, the volume of water in the flooded suit doesn't add net weight to the system until it is actually above the surface and not displacing the equivalent weight.

I know everybody in here is a tried and true diving wizard but in the real world not everyone picks up so readily on more technical concepts like this.