CO2 ballast systems

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • roedj
    Captain
    • Sep 2008
    • 562

    CO2 ballast systems

    Attn: Bob Martin (or anyone else)

    Sir,

    Sometime back, a few months, maybe, you made some mention of giving a thought or three to developing a CO2 ballast system. Is this still being considered?

    I ask this because, basically, I still believe that doing much violence upon water in a ballast tank is the best way to bring a sub up from a greater that planned depth. I*** your intention is to blow water out of a main ballast tank in an emergency, then don't pussy foot around, son. Blow that water out - now!. Your little pumps and teeny air tanks just don't cut it when you're stuck on the bottom 100 feet down.

    Twenty years ago when CO2 ballast systems were considered they probably were less than safe but with the advent of paintball equipment I have to believe that's not true now. Or am I wrong?

    When it comes to ballast systems, I don't believe in subtle.

    Captain Clear
    Born in Detroit - where the weak are killed and eaten.
  • Das Boot
    Rear Admiral
    • Dec 2019
    • 1149

    #2
    Originally posted by roedj
    Attn: Bob Martin (or anyone else)

    Sir,

    Sometime back, a few months, maybe, you made some mention of giving a thought or three to developing a CO2 ballast system. Is this still being considered?

    I ask this because, basically, I still believe that doing much violence upon water in a ballast tank is the best way to bring a sub up from a greater that planned depth. I*** your intention is to blow water out of a main ballast tank in an emergency, then don't pussy foot around, son. Blow that water out - now!. Your little pumps and teeny air tanks just don't cut it when you're stuck on the bottom 100 feet down.

    Twenty years ago when CO2 ballast systems were considered they probably were less than safe but with the advent of paintball equipment I have to believe that's not true now. Or am I wrong?

    When it comes to ballast systems, I don't believe in subtle.

    Captain Clear
    CO2 is cool, unless you forget how many blows you have left, or forget to fill the tank. I’ve been witness to both. If you’re worried about getting to the surface, then do one of three things. Use a bladder with a gas system, don’t have enough weight to go below the sail at full ballast and use a pump and a gas system, or sail at a depth where you can get wet and recover the boat. Nothing is foolproof. Just my two cents worth.
    Of the 40,000 men who served on German submarines, 30,000 never returned.”

    Comment

    • RCSubGuy
      Welcome to my underwater realm!
      • Aug 2009
      • 1768

      #3
      I've done the CO2 system, but am a bigger proponent of airbrush propellant or freon as the gas of choice. More blows per charge and much (much) safer.

      Bob

      Comment

      • roedj
        Captain
        • Sep 2008
        • 562

        #4
        Bob,

        Thanks for your reply. I totally respect your opinion on the relative safety of the various systems.

        Captain Cautious
        Born in Detroit - where the weak are killed and eaten.

        Comment

        • James Wittaker
          Lieutenant
          • Oct 2021
          • 67

          #5
          Has anyone tried helium (He)? It is non-flammable, compressible, non-toxic, and is often used to inflate balloons for weddings or remote control blimps.

          Comment

          • RCSubGuy
            Welcome to my underwater realm!
            • Aug 2009
            • 1768

            #6
            I've never heard of anyone using it. Isn't it getting harder and harder to find and more and more expensive? I can't recall seeing convenient storage solutions for bringing to the lake, either...

            Comment

            • Subculture
              Admiral
              • Feb 2009
              • 2119

              #7
              Lot of paintballers use nitrous Oxide these days, anyone tried that?

              I see a lot of the small silver coloured cylinders discarded as kids decant it into balloons and are using it to get high as kites (laughing gas), they seem to have cottoned on that bigger cylinders work out more cost effective, and I'm seeing more of them dumped by the roadside now.

              Comment

              • Tom Spettel
                Lieutenant, Junior Grade
                • Dec 2009
                • 47

                #8
                Originally posted by roedj
                Attn: Bob Martin (or anyone else)

                Sir,

                Sometime back, a few months, maybe, you made some mention of giving a thought or three to developing a CO2 ballast system. Is this still being considered?

                I ask this because, basically, I still believe that doing much violence upon water in a ballast tank is the best way to bring a sub up from a greater that planned depth. I*** your intention is to blow water out of a main ballast tank in an emergency, then don't pussy foot around, son. Blow that water out - now!. Your little pumps and teeny air tanks just don't cut it when you're stuck on the bottom 100 feet down.

                Twenty years ago when CO2 ballast systems were considered they probably were less than safe but with the advent of paintball equipment I have to believe that's not true now. Or am I wrong?

                When it comes to ballast systems, I don't believe in subtle.

                Captain Clear
                i remember that. It was one of your projects you were doing for somebody bob!!! You were going to use one of those mini keg regulators that looked like s sweet idea. Did you get working
                i still love the gas

                Comment

                • RCSubGuy
                  Welcome to my underwater realm!
                  • Aug 2009
                  • 1768

                  #9
                  Yes, I did get the system working. They got me to build it for them for installation in a project they were working on themselves, so I never saw it in action other than my trim tank.

                  Comment

                  Working...