Hybrid Ballast Tank/Piston System

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  • Monahan Steam Models
    Captain
    • Apr 2020
    • 755

    #31
    Originally posted by rwtdiver

    Hi Nick,

    Can I ask you what CAD system you are using! I really like what you are doing with your designing of the WTC and the components first, and then building off the concept you have designed! Nice work you are doing here! Thanks for sharing!

    Rob
    "Firemen can stand the heat"
    Hi Rob,

    Thanks! The CAD software I use is Solidworks Professional. I started out with this software back 1999 and have been using it almost daily ever since. CAD is a great tool to know and have in your toolbox. The model shown in the previous posts is the results of hundreds of hours drafting work.

    Nick

    Comment

    • rwtdiver
      Vice Admiral
      • Feb 2019
      • 1768

      #32
      Originally posted by Monahan Steam Models

      Hi Rob,

      Thanks! The CAD software I use is Solidworks Professional. I started out with this software back 1999 and have been using it almost daily ever since. CAD is a great tool to know and have in your toolbox. The model shown in the previous posts is the results of hundreds of hours drafting work.

      Nick
      Nick,

      Thank you very much for the information! I will be looking at Solidworks today! Keep up the great work you are doing! Really enjoy watching your progress...

      Nick, I see there are a copy of different solid works! Did you go with the $99.00 Student software to start with? Thanks for the info. I am impressed with there product!!

      Rob

      "Firemen can stand the heat"

      Comment

      • Monahan Steam Models
        Captain
        • Apr 2020
        • 755

        #33
        Originally posted by rwtdiver

        Nick,

        Thank you very much for the information! I will be looking at Solidworks today! Keep up the great work you are doing! Really enjoy watching your progress...

        Nick, I see there are a copy of different solid works! Did you go with the $99.00 Student software to start with? Thanks for the info. I am impressed with there product!!

        Rob

        "Firemen can stand the heat"
        Rob,

        Thanks again! I’ll keep posting as progress is made and there’s something worth sharing that won’t bore the folks following.

        There are a number of Solidworks packages and levels. I have the full blown Premium Package with all the plug in extra features. It was necessary to have this version as I was the principal mechanical engineer for the company I worked for and this was also the level of this software I used at other companies. The copy I currently have is from a company I worked for that is now defunct so my version hasn’t been updated in a few years with the latest bells and whistles. If I recall correctly the version I have was north of $10,000 with the annual maintenance updates costing another almost $2000. I haven’t looked in years what the software is going for nowadays.

        Be careful which version you decide to go with as some versions will not let you save or export your work. Those versions are usually the try before you buy ones or the lower cost ones. Can’t recall if that was a drawback to the student version or not.

        Nick
        Last edited by Monahan Steam Models; 02-12-2021, 08:05 PM. Reason: Correction of version used

        Comment

        • rwtdiver
          Vice Admiral
          • Feb 2019
          • 1768

          #34
          Originally posted by Monahan Steam Models

          Rob,

          Thanks again! I’ll keep posting as progress is made and there’s something worth sharing that won’t bore the folks following.

          There are a number of Solidworks packages and levels. I have the full blown Premium Package with all the plug in extra features. It was necessary to have this version as I was the principal mechanical engineer for the company I worked for and this was also the level of this software I used at other companies. The copy I currently have is from a company I worked for that is now defunct so my version hasn’t been updated in a few years with the latest bells and whistles. If I recall correctly the version I have was north of $10,000 with the annual maintenance updates costing another almost $2000. I haven’t looked in years what the software is going for nowadays.

          Be careful which version you decide to go with as some versions will not let you save or export your work. Those versions are usually the try before you buy ones or the lower cost ones. Can’t recall if that was a drawback to the student version or not.

          Nick
          Nick,

          Thank you again for the follow up on the Solidworks! I will explore it more to see if the student version would work for me! You really have a POWERHOUSE version for sure! Way to much expense for me! But I will check the student version and see if it could be a starting point!

          Nick! Thank you so much for taking the time to gather up this information for me!! Really appreciate the information!

          Rob
          "Firemen can stand the heat"

          Comment

          • Monahan Steam Models
            Captain
            • Apr 2020
            • 755

            #35
            Finally got around to modeling the various plumbing lines for each system. (External plumbing, still need to finish modeling the internal plumbing.) This was necessary to see what room I have left for other components. Things are starting to really fill up just forward of the front WTC bulkhead.

            The transparent blue tinted lines represent the LPB pump plumbing circuits. You can see the long line traveling along the top of the WTC. This is the inlet for the snorkel.

            The single clear transparent line at the top of the WTC and connected to the top of the main ballast tank, runs forward then down to a 3 port Tee attached to the normally closed side of the ballast vent valve situated on the starboard side. The LPB pump’s outlet is also attached to this Tee on the back or normally closed side of the vent valve. The third and final connection to this Tee is from the outlet side of the emergency gas backup valve that is situated on the port side.

            The brass thing placed between and slung lower than the vent valve and emergency backup valve is a adjustable pressure regulator for the torpedo solenoids. The emergency gas backup valve and torpedo regulator have stand alone separate gas reservoir tanks (yet to be added).

            The grey tinted transparent lines represent the bi-directional flowing plumbing lines leading to each of the peristaltic trim pumps.

            Still need to finish modeling the internal WTC plumbing to the LPB pumps but focusing on the external plumbing mainly where the external low slung valve and equipment mount is situated beneath the forward trim syringe allows me to move along planning the forward bulkhead penetration and routing for the watertight low voltage lights and torpedo solenoid harness.

            This also allows planning out the available space that is left for the placement of the torpedo multi solenoid launch bank. The submarine’s molding are split into three main hull sections. Bow, central and aft. The plan is to keep it this way for disassembly and access. The plan is the bow will house the quad tube torpedo mechanism and launch solenoids and stay attached to the central section most of the time. Ideally the only connections required to it will be a single electrical signal harness for the solenoids and a single regulated gas source from the pressure regulator on the WTC. Bow plane pushrod connection will be automatic via magnets.

            The aft hull section will be the workhorse in removing the WTC. Those connections will be each prop shaft dog bone. Two pushrod connections and a quick connect gas line to the rear torpedo tube. I may place the two removable gas propellant tanks for the emergency blow and torpedo solenoids back there too. Will see as the layout continues to evolve

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            Overall view showing the spaghetti plumbing mess from the port side

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            Starboard side.

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            Top down view of forward section

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            Forward looking aft

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            Underside

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            Another angle from the underside



            Nick
            Attached Files
            Last edited by Monahan Steam Models; 02-14-2021, 09:58 AM. Reason: Corrected photo of starboard side. Had posted a duplicate of the port side

            Comment

            • redboat219
              Admiral
              • Dec 2008
              • 2735

              #36
              Wow Nick. Looks like a real pressure hull.
              Make it simple, make strong, make it work!

              Comment

              • Monahan Steam Models
                Captain
                • Apr 2020
                • 755

                #37
                Thanks Romel!

                Comment

                • Monahan Steam Models
                  Captain
                  • Apr 2020
                  • 755

                  #38
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ID:	147564 Cleaned up and re-routed the lines over the top of the WTC in the CAD model. This was not critical for building the real parts as these are flexible lines and will be left loose in the real build but the sloppy looks in the CAD model was driving me nuts. Distractions!

                  Finally shifted focus to the rear equipment compartment. Added rough modeled place holders of the various electronic modules on the upper equipment shelf. Since the brushless motors are already in the wet, I'm thinking of removing them from the rear WTC bulkhead and including them in the removable aft hull assembly. The rudder and stern plane servos may also be moved in the near future to the aft hull section to simplify acessing

                  Comment

                  • redboat219
                    Admiral
                    • Dec 2008
                    • 2735

                    #39
                    Servos in the wet?
                    Make it simple, make strong, make it work!

                    Comment

                    • Monahan Steam Models
                      Captain
                      • Apr 2020
                      • 755

                      #40
                      Originally posted by redboat219
                      Servos in the wet?
                      Not sure yet.

                      There is enough room in the aft equipment compartment to keep them where they are in the dry. Really the debate has to do with making the rear WTC end cap easy to remove to charge the two LiPo packs outside of the cylinder. I would prefer that the rear equipment tray remain in the cylinder and not be attached to the rear end cap. The servo pushrods passing through the end cap complicates easy removal. The servos could be attached to the inside of the end cap but this is not ideal after exploring the overall layout of the rear compartment.

                      In contrast, the forward equipment shelves and components were planned to be attached to the forward end cap and pulled out of the cylinder as a complete sub assembly.

                      One option for keeping the servos inside the rear compartment and mounted on the equipment tray I am considering currently is to make the inside pushrod connections to the servos have some sort of quick disconnect that can be actuated from outside the cylinder.

                      Magnetic couplers would be easy but I don’t like the idea of the force needed to pull the magnetic pushrod connections apart. That is probably not good for these light duty micro servos.

                      Maybe instead of a magnetic connection, use some sort of low force required rotary twist lock or threaded connection? The ends of the pushrods outside of the WTC will have magnetic quick couplers, so breaking that connection first then rotating the pushrods could work.

                      Comment

                      • Monahan Steam Models
                        Captain
                        • Apr 2020
                        • 755

                        #41
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                        Aft rudder and plane servos are being moved out of the aft hull WTC area. The motors and servos will be mounted on their own equipment tray that will slide in or out of the aft hull section for maintenance as needed. Connections to both servos and both motors will each be made in two separate ip68 quick connect harnesses. The aft WTC bulkhead and hull section assembly should now be fairly simple to remove in theory at this point. Going forward with the design, time will be spent working out the motor/servo equipment design for the aft hull assembly. Then finally onto the aft torpedo launcher.

                        Comment

                        • Monahan Steam Models
                          Captain
                          • Apr 2020
                          • 755

                          #42
                          The upside to living in the mountains and woods is the natural sounds of the outdoors. The chirping of Crickets and forest frogs.

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                          • Monahan Steam Models
                            Captain
                            • Apr 2020
                            • 755

                            #43
                            There was more content to the above post #42 from yesterday but the forum kept timing out on me while I was pecking out the post from my phone. Ive had this happen a handful of times using my phone to access the forum. Frustrated, I eventually gave up and logged out.

                            Looks like only the first two sentences of the post actually showed up.... Fun...

                            Not going to re-write the post.

                            Comment

                            • trout
                              Admiral
                              • Jul 2011
                              • 3545

                              #44
                              Well your two sentences made me day dream. There is something to those sounds that is both relaxing and inspires creative thinking. You’re living my dream.
                              If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

                              Comment

                              • Monahan Steam Models
                                Captain
                                • Apr 2020
                                • 755

                                #45
                                It was a surprise to hear the crickets and frogs last night. I had just gotten the kiddo off to bed and was waiting for a part to finishing printing so that I could load up another before turning in for the night. Decided to step out on the back porch and was hit with the wall of sound coming from the crickets and frogs.

                                Normally around this time of year it is very quiet out besides the sounds of the bigger critters roaming around. Mainly because it would be freezing out or snowing so it was odd but at the same time very soothing. A nice treat after a long day spent working on the computer.

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