europa  

RE: PROJECT REFOCUSING

Robert Crawley
Wed, 30 Oct 2002 09:13:47 -0800

You aren’t going to want any kind of flutes or anything on the shaft of this thing. Expect it to get clogged real fast. Glass smooth stainless 4130, or smoother is preferable. Polish it with newspaper, and then polish it again with RainX. An old torpedo tube would work better as it can probably be had in some form or another off the shelf.

 

Robert Crawley

Elite Precision Fabricators, Inc.

Programming

(936) 449-6823

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 11:49 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: PROJECT REFOCUSING

 

In a message dated 10/29/2002 7:10:07 PM Alaskan Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:



In this design (which is just a quick concept - I think the theory
should be tested) the 'entire' skin has the heating elements.  Imagine
just below the aluminum skin is a network of small heating elements
(nichrome wire).  This network heats the entire surface, not just the
nose.



Yes, if you'll look back on some prior posts, say 1 week back, that's what we were talking about... a heated nose, and a warm skin on the sides, to assist the slipperiness.

  A thin layer of water forms around the entire craft making it


slippery.  Its weight coupled with the heating will allow this type of
craft to move slowly downward.



Joe, what do you think of the idea of spraying it with teflon?  Would that assist the slipperiness at all? 



Since our model will not be carrying any radioactive heating elements
anytime soone, the idea was to have a single wire provide power to
augment the batteries - unless of course someone wants to calculate
exactly how much dc power it would take to melt ~ 180,000 cubic inches
of water - (pi * 6) * (500' * 12) or there abouts.




That's a job for Robt. Bradbury.  Grand scale calculations are his forte'.  Robert?


Note:  I did say this is a rough sketch.  I can add more of the mental
notes I have.  As a matter of fact I was thinking about some pictures of
the process to make a skin of this type - I might have enough materials
to at least test the theory.



We were thinking of 2 ideas for the actual model (not of the prototype for the model).  These were:
1)  having Robert Crawley's Elite Precision Machining make a stamped metal exterior casing, perhaps with flutings or spiraled grooves to assist with water shed, and
2)  using an old torpedo tube, and simply refurbishing it.  Using a torp, there might already be prefab compartments / bays.  It also might have a battery that we can adapt.

For a prototype (IcePIC iA), I guess your concept of a cardboard tube (such as a postal packing tube) wrapped with aluminum foil for insulation, then wrapped with wire, then more aluminum foil, then sprayed with waterproofer, then teflon, might do the trick.

-- John




Joe Latrell