External Air/Gas/Electrical 

 Connections 



In order to replenish deballasting air, 

 breathing gasses or electrical power, exter- 

 nal attachments are incorporated into a 

 small number of vehicles which allow replen- 

 ishment while submerged. One of the simpler 

 methods is found on the All Ocean Indus- 

 tries vehicle which incorporates a standard 

 scuba tank manifold through its hull (Fig. 

 14.19). The ease with which resupplying can 

 be made is dependent upon depth. A diver is 

 most effective, but he is depth-limited. A 

 submersible is less effective owing to its de- 

 creased maneuverability and manipulative 

 dexterity. Equal to the submersible's capa- 

 bility are the unmanned devices which also 

 have less maneuvering and manipulative 

 ability than human beings, but both manned 

 and unmanned systems are capable of oper- 

 ating to depths encompassing 98 percent of 

 the ocean floor (20,000 ft). 



Fig 14,18 ALUMlNAUTs lights provide an excellent means of visually-locating the 

 vehicle from several hundred feet distance. (Reynolds Submarine Services) 



buoys, etc.) provide the primary means of 

 locating the submersible at long range. 



Lift Padeyes 



Most submersibles have a padeye or ring 

 to which a line or cable is attached for 

 launch or retrieval. This can serve as a point 

 of attachment for emergency lifting, assum- 

 ing it to be clear of interfering obstructions. 

 Such padeyes, however, are not of standard 

 size and location, and finding and attaching 

 a suitable hook may take time. A few of the 

 larger (greater than 15 tons) submersibles 

 are launched by a cradle supporting them 

 from the keel. In this case there may be no 

 padeye, and this could cause salvage to be- 

 come unduly complex and time-consuming 

 while a suitable lifting arrangement is de- 

 signed and fabricated. 



Fig 14 19 A scuba bottle valve attached to a thru-hull penetration provides air from 



a scuba tank to blov^ mam ballast in the All Ocean Industries vehicles. The rack in the 



foreground holds the scuba bottle 



682 



