Waste Management 



Means must be provided to accommodate 

 metabolic wastes and to treat and store such 

 wastes for the duration of the dive. 



Fatigue 



The internal arrangements for pilot and 

 passenger(s) must be such that the efficiency 

 of both is not decreased by uncomfortable or 

 awkward layout of instruments and controls. 

 Similarly, long periods at the viewports can 

 be extremely taxing and detrimental to the 

 mission if pilot or observer is forced into 

 awkward positions to view or work. 



EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 



Entanglement 



To minimize the fouling potential with for- 

 eign objects such as wreckage, cables, or 

 ropes, submersibles should have smooth, 

 streamlined exterior surfaces and objects ex- 

 tending beyond the fairing should be kept to 

 a minimum. When possible, objects that offer 

 a potential for fouling should be jettisonable. 



Power Loss 



In the event of a complete electrical power 

 loss, the vehicle should have mechanical 

 means of surfacing either by jettisoning com- 

 ponents, dropping extra ballast or blowing 

 water ballast. An emergency power supply to 

 operate critical emergency components 

 should be considered. 



Fire and Noxious Gasses 



Emergency breathing apparatus and fire 

 extinguishers within the pressure hull are 

 required in the event of fire and release of 

 noxious or toxic gasses. Nonflammable wir- 

 ing insulation should be used for all power 

 cables and control wiring. Only insulation, 

 paint, plastics, and other materials free of 

 detrimental outgassing should be used inside 

 manned spaces. 



Deballasting Loss 



A number of vehicles contain backup de- 

 ballasting procedures in the event that the 

 normal deballasting does not function or is 

 insufficient. These include jettisoning of bat- 

 teries, instruments, manipulators, or trim 

 liquids (mercury). Where depth allows, many 



vehicles may be flooded by ambient sea- 

 water or pressurized by compressed air to 

 open the hatch for emergency exit. In a few 

 cases, the entire positively buoyant pressure 

 hull can be manually released from the re- 

 mainder of the vehicle, whence it will free- 

 float to the surface. 



Tracking Loss 



Owing to inaccuracies in tracking proce- 

 dures or accidental loss of acoustic contact, a 

 submersible may surface out of contact with 

 its support ship and be completely on its 

 own. Emergency signaling devices and ra- 

 dios are required. Some vehicles have such 

 low freeboard that to open the hatch in any- 

 thing higher than sea state 1 could swamp 

 the pressure hull. In this case, emergency 

 flares might be impossible to employ, and if a 

 long period of time must be spent with the 

 hatch closed awaiting outside assistance, the 

 endurance of the emergency life support sys- 

 tem to sustain the passengers could be ex- 

 ceeded. The color of the submersible might 

 also be critical to visual sighting. A white 

 submersible, with only 1 or 2 feet of its 

 conning tower or sail protruding above the 

 surface and posed against a background of 

 whitecaps, is extremely difficult to see. Fur- 

 thermore, radar may be ineffective owing to 

 the sail being masked by sea return. 



SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS 



Transportation 



Weight and size are the factors controlling 

 a submersible's transport and, hence, mobil- 

 ity. Land, sea and air transportation are 

 possible; but, for some vehicles, this means 

 dismantling major components. Deployment 

 at the site of embarkation requires lift and 

 possible rail facilities not available at many 

 ports. 



Support Platform 



There are few, if any, occasions when a 

 submersible will not require a support plat- 

 form. At the very least, this platform will be 

 required to tow the vehicle to the dive site 

 and track it while submerged. In open-sea 

 operations, the platform will act to maintain 

 the vehicle, house its support and scientific 

 crew, and perform work tasks in conjunction 



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