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Information about Dsv Alvin

Alvin (DSV-2) is a 16-ton, manned deep-ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The craft was built by General Mills' Electronics Group[1] in the same factory used to manufacture breakfast cereal-producing machinery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Named to honor the prime mover and creative inspiration for the vehicle, Allyn Vine, Alvin was commissioned on June 5, 1964.

The submersible is launched from the deep submergence support vessel Atlantis, which is also owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by WHOI. The submersible has taken 12,000 people on over 4,000 dives to observe the lifeforms that must cope with super-pressures and move about in total darkness. It is said that research conducted by Alvin has been featured in nearly 2,000 scientific papers.

Alvin was designed as a replacement for bathyscaphes and other less maneuverable oceanographic vehicles. Its more nimble design was made possible in part by the development of syntactic foam, which is buoyant and yet strong enough to serve as a structural material at great depths. The three-person vessel allows for two scientists and one pilot to dive for up to nine hours at 4500 meters (15,000 feet). The submersible features two robotic arms and can be fitted with mission-specific sampling and experimental gear. The hatch of the vessel is 0.6 meters (two feet) thick, and held in place by the pressure of the water above it (it is tapered, narrower inward).

Enlarge picture
Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents.

History

Early career

Alvin, first of its class of Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV), was built to dive to 2440 meters (8000 feet). Each of the Alvin-class DSVs have different depth capabilities. However Alvin is the only one seconded to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the others staying with the United States Navy. On March 17, 1966, Alvin was used to locate a submerged 1.45-megaton hydrogen bomb lost in a United States Air Force refueling accident over Palomares, Spain. The bomb, found resting nearly 910 meters (3000 ft) deep, was later raised intact on April 7.

Sinking

The Alvin, aboard the NOAA tender ship Lulu, was lost as it was being transported in October 1968. The Lulu, a vessel created from a pair of decommissioned US Navy pontoons with a support structure added on, carried Alvin on a steel cable. The cable snapped with three crewmembers aboard and the hatch open. Situated between the pontoons with no deck underneath, the Alvin hit the water and rapidly started to sink. The three crewmembers managed to escape, but the sub sank in 1500 meters (5000 feet) of water.

Ten months later, in September 1969, the Aluminaut, another US Navy DSV owned by Reynolds Metals Aluminum Company, secured a line on the Alvin, and it was hauled up. It was so intact that lunches left on board were soggy but edible. This incident led to a more comprehensive understanding that near-freezing temperatures and the lack of decaying oxygen at depth aided preservation. Notwithstanding the preserved food aboard, the Alvin required a major overhaul after the incident.

Post-sinking career

In 1973, Alvin's pressure hull was replaced by a newer titanium pressure hull. The new hull extended the submersible's maximum depth to 4000 meters (15,000 feet).

Black smokers

In 1977, during an expedition led by Robert Ballard and sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Alvin discovered and documented the existence of black smokers around the Galapagos Islands. Existing at a depth of more than 2000 meters, black smokers emit a strong flow of black, smoky water, superheated to over 400 °C (750 °F). Alvin was able to sample the water from a black smoker, discovering that the pH is roughly 2.8, or equal to the acidity of household vinegar.

Exploration of RMS Titanic

Most famously, Alvin was involved in the exploration of the wreckage of RMS Titanic in 1986. Launched from her support ship R/V Atlantis II, she carried Dr. Robert Ballard and two companions to the wreckage of the great liner. RMS Titanic sank in 1912 after striking an iceberg while crossing the North Atlantic Ocean on her maiden voyage.

Alvin, accompanied by a small remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named Jason Jr., was able to conduct detailed photographic surveys and inspections of the Titanic's wreckage. Many of the photographs of the expedition have been published in the magazine of the National Geographic Society which was a major sponsor of the expedition.

Recent overhauls

Over the years, the Alvin has undergone many overhauls to improve its equipment and extend its lifetime. The most recent overhaul was during 2001 in which, among other equipment, motor controllers and computer systems were added.

A possible replacement

On August 6, 2004, the National Science Foundation announced the creation of a new Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) to replace the aging Alvin. The new vehicle is designed to dive deeper up to 6500 meters (21,000 ft) as opposed to Alvin's 4500 meters and use new scientific equipment. The fate of the Alvin when this new submersible arrives is unknown. Many say it will be either placed in a museum or be used to explore relatively shallow waters.

Contrary to a BBC article (see below) published in October 2004, the Alvin has not yet been retired from service.

Operation

Alvin uses four 208-pound steel weights (~1.7 cubic feet of steel) to provide negative buoyancy for the trip to the ocean floor. These weights are jettisoned on each dive and left at the bottom.[2], [3]

See also

Other deep submergence vehicles

References

  • Kaharl, Victoria A. (October 1, 1990). Water Baby: The Story of Alvin. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 0-19-506191-8. 
  • Kunzig, Robert (March 1, 1999). The Restless Sea: Exploring the World Beneath the Waves, 1st ed edition, W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-04562-5. 

Notes

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ [2]
3. ^ [3]

External links

submersible is a type of underwater vessel with limited mobility which is typically transported to its area of operation by a surface vessel or large submarine. Apart from size, the technical difference between a 'submersible' and a 'submarine' is that submersibles are not totally
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United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. The U.S. Navy currently has over 340,000 personnel on active duty and nearly 128,000 in the Navy Reserve.
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The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of all aspects of marine science and engineering and to the education of marine researchers.
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Woods Hole, Massachusetts

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    R/V Atlantis is an oceanographic research vessel operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. It is the host vessel of DSV Alvin and has been in service since 1977.
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    bathyscape, bathyscaphe, or bathyscaph is a free-diving self-propelled deep-sea diving submersible, consisting of a crew cabin similar to a bathysphere suspended below a float (rather than from a surface cable, as in the classic bathysphere design)
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    Oceanography (from Ocean + Greek γράφειν = write), also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth Sciences that studies the Earth's oceans and seas.
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    Syntactic foams are composite materials synthesized by filling a metal, polymer or ceramic matrix with hollow particles called microballoons. The presence of hollow particles results in lower density, higher strength, a lower thermal expansion coefficient, and, in some cases, radar
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    Deep Submergence Vehicles are deep diving manned submarines that are self-propelled. The term DSV is generally one used by the United States Navy, though several navies operate vehicles that can be accurately described as DSVs.
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    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a scientific agency of the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere.
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    On January 17 1966 a B-52 bomber of the USAF Strategic Air Command collided with a KC-135 tanker during mid-air refuelling at 31,000 feet over the Mediterranean sea, off the coast of Spain. The KC-135 was completely destroyed when its load of fuel ignited, killing all four crew members.
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    Aluminaut was built in 1964 and was the world's first aluminum submarine. The 80-ton, manned deep-ocean research submersible was built by Reynolds Metals Company, which was seeking to prove the utility of aluminum.
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