Structural issues with Titan sub hull could have caused implosion: expertBy Emily Crane
June 23, 2023
Structural issues with the doomed Titan sub’s hull could be among the causes of the “catastrophic implosion” that destroyed the vessel and killed all five people on board in the depths of the Atlantic, an expert told The Post.
Investigators were hunting for clues on Friday as to how and why the OceanGate-owned submersible suddenly fell apart as it was descending toward the wreck of the Titanic this week.
While authorities say it is too early to tell the cause of the deep-sea disaster, one expert pointed to possible failures of the sub’s hull — its main body — as a likely explanation.
Virginia Tech ocean engineering professor Stefano Brizzolara suggested the sub’s pressure hull could have had a defect that may have fractured under the pressure and sparked an implosion.
“It is difficult to say what caused the structural failure in this case, but any small material and geometric imperfection, misalignment of connection flanges, tightening torque of bolted connection may have started the structural collapse,” Brizzolara said.
The Titan’s hull was constructed from two different materials: carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and titanium.
Brizzolara said the carbon fiber element is “very prone to possible defects” and that it “exhibits a more fragile behavior” than other materials — meaning that when it fails, it can break into small fragments.
The expert said the Titan’s repeated voyages down to the wreckage of the ocean liner may have also caused the hull to “deform and shrink.”
“These repeated deformation cycles may have started some material defects in the [carbon reinforced plastic] or some permanent deformations or misalignment between the two parts of the hull that were built with two different materials, which deform in a different way,” he said.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2023/06/23/structural-issues-with-titan-sub-hull-could-have-caused-implosion-expert/
