Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
I just watched a video on the subject. Hydrogen is only 7% the weight of air, so there's limited benefit to a vacuum over hydrogen from a buoyancy perspective.
I at least expected to find an example of a vacuum sphere being buoyant, but I didn't find any working examples.
A sphere is the strongest shape, but it isn't a requirement to avoid crushing. Submarines don't crush, and they aren't spheres.
The concept would require a breakthrough in materials technology though.
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1) The sphere is the strongest structure for this type of loading. Symmetrical loading is transferred uniformly throughout the entire structure.
2) The submarine has a pressure-hull beneath it's hydro-hull.
3) This elongated cylinder possess 'hoop-stress' due to it's non-geodesic architecture, and you'll notice uniformly-spaced reinforcing bulkheads which reduce buckling failure.
4) Wall thickness resists 'oil-canning' deformation failure.
5) Submarines will definitely crush if taken beyond their operational envelope. That would be classified information.
6) On the deepest-diving, manned submersibles, like James Cameron used to visit geo-thermal black-smokers in the deep ocean, you'll notice the convex, hemispherical clear plastic viewing bubble, and extremely-thick walls of the craft.