SUBMERSIBLES: TRITON SUBMARINES
What are Triton submersibles made out of and how does that contribute to their safety and reliability? Each submersible comprises of thousands of constituent components, with each and every single one of them being reviewed and tested to ensure it complies with the requirements for certification by a third-party classification society. Certification begins with an in-depth review of the design and engineering of the vehicle including detailed analysis of all mechanical, electrical and fluids systems. The certification extends to the selection, analysis, and approv - al of materials. All critical materials and hardware are tested by independent laboratories to confirm their chemical and physical properties as well as critical dimensions and tolerances on approved drawings. Pressure and strength testing of assemblies are evaluated and tested in witness of qualified, surveyors. The process continues through the testing and final certifi - cation of the completed vehicle and the craft’s continued compliance through regular sched- uled surveys in line with the class society rules for the entire lifetime of the vehicle. The most critical safety system is the main pressure vessel (PV), for most models this is acryl- ic and for our Full Ocean Depth model we use Titanium, whichever the case they are designed to withstand twice the maximum operating pressure of the submersible and tested to a mini- mum of 1.2 times its rated operating depth. This is true of every pressure or component that is mounted exterior to the main pressure hull. Records for the deepest, longest and most-repeated dives are all held by owners of Triton submersibles. Which record has been the most special to your company so far? Perhaps the ‘most special’ Triton achievement to date has been the development of the world’s first and only certified (i.e., DNV Approved) and full ocean depth rated submersible, the Triton 36000/2 (also known as the Limiting Factor or LF). When this client approached us, it was clear that he wanted Triton to create something that had never been achieved, or even attempted. Incredibly, our global team of creative resourceful and dedicated profession- als made this uniquely configured craft a reality in just three years. Today, this submersible has been to the deepest place on our planet (Challenger Deep at 10,932 meters or 35,865 feet) 20 times and conducted more than 120 dives to hadal depths (i.e., those areas of the ocean between 6,000 and 11,000 meters). The success of the Triton 36000/2 is particularly special because it has opened a door to the deepest, most remote and least explored areas of our ocean and it has allowed us to continue pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation, which has benefitted the entire Triton model range.
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