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Habitat |
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Development Hull design Internal Layout Docking Systems Life Support Power Systems Communications Anchoring |
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Anchoring
The Atlantis II is going to be anchored to the sea floor to hold a stable location 20 m off the bottom of the ocean. The habitat is designed to rise at a rate that will get it to sea level in about three hours (approximately 1000 m/hr). To obtain this speed, the structure displaces close to 15 thousand kilograms of water more than its own weight, granting a positive buoyancy of about 1500 newtons. Therefore, the anchoring system that we use is going to need to be able to counteract this force. However, with such a volatile and continuously changing ocean floor we want to rely on the anchor as little as possible. To do that, we are going to have detachable weights on the bottom of the habitat. The weights will counter act the bouncy force of the habitat allowing it to have very small positive buoyancy of about 500 N. Then the anchors will counter act this remaining positive buoyancy and then some more as a safety margin.We do not want neutral buoyancy in the case we get pushed down by current or some other force and then remain at an undesirable depth. If we were negatively buoyant, we would end up relying on a firm support from the ocean floor, which we do not want to do, or be put in a position where we would want to push on a cable, which is not ideal.The weights are detachable so that in the case of an emergency, we can detach the weights and the anchoring system and float to the surface. The anchoring system will now only need to handle a slight positive force, therefore the remainder of its function will be to prevent any types of torques applied on to the habitat inducing a spin in some direction.The anchoring system itself will consist of a large disk of solid steel. As of now, it will be about 3 meters in diameter, and 1 meter in thickness. There will be a loop at the top of this anchor, which will allow for the attachment of a cable to go from the habitat to the anchor. The cable will be made of 2.5 cm thick and made from a titanium alloy. At the connection between the anchor and cable, the cable will go through the loop on the anchor and then welded back to the cable to ensure a firm connection. Between the habitat and the cable will be a reel, which will allow for any slight adjustments that may need to be made do to the changing ocean floor (the range in adjustment will be about 10 meters). However, this reel will also be able to detach from the habitat in the case of an emergency. The anchor cables (as well as the weights) can be detached by one of several switches placed throughout the habitat.