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The tragic outcome of the Titan submarine puts an end to days of relentless searching and tension. After the discovery of parts of the submersible in the surroundings of ground zero, the authorities point out that the submarine suffered an implosion at some point during its descent into the depths of the sea, which killed all 5 people on board. But, what is an implosion and what is the cause of its occurrence in the submersible? We provide you with a scientific look at this dramatic event.
OceanGate
The authorities suggest that the tragic end of the Titan was due to an implosion.
THE IMPOSING PRESSURE
You’ve heard of that the pressure has been the key factor in this event, but what exactly does that mean? Well, the weight you experience due to the column of air above your head is known as atmospheric pressure. On the earth’s surface, at sea level, there is a pressure of 1 atmosphere, something like if you could hold 1,033 grams on every square inch of your body. Now, as you go up in altitude, the atmospheric pressure is said to be less, since you are reducing the height of that column of air that you have on your body. But, what would happen if, instead of going up, we went down?
If you are located under the ocean, this effect is increased, and that is, not only would you have to support all that column of air above the sea, but all the the water column which, even above, is much heavier. That is to say, the deeper you are, to the weight of the air layer, you would have to add more and more weight of water, which would be approximately 1 kilogram for each liter.
To give you an idea, the pressure at which the submarine was when it was located in the vicinity of the Titanic was 400 atmospheres, or what is the same, a weight of 4,000 tons for every square meter of structure. That is, something bearable only for certain highly resistant materials, but unfeasible for any human being.
The tragic end of the Titan, the submarine that was lost when it went to the Titanic
the implosion
However, although this high pressure exists outside the submarine, inside it, a pressure much more similar to atmospheric pressure must be ensured, that of the surface, so that the survival of all its crew members can be guaranteed. Now, if the structure of the submersible not strong enoughor if there is any deterioration in it, the fuselage can give way under the great weight it supports, completely destroying the submarine and everything inside.
In addition, in physics, a part of the dynamics of gases is defined with the Boyle ley, which states that pressure and volume are inversely proportional. In other words, that high pressures will always act to compress spaces with air. Therefore, if the structure is correctly regulated, the interior of the submarine will be safe. However, with minimal rupture, that pressure will tend to remove all the air from within but, being so high due to all the weight of water above it, it will act very aggressively, making it collapse in less than a second and folding it in on itself as if it were a can: it is the implosion.
It is a phenomenon “opposite” to an explosion. That is, while in the second the collapse is outwards, in the implosion it occurs inwards. It is a process that occurs immediately: in a matter of 20 or 40 milliseconds the submarine goes from having a normal shape to practically disappearing, collapsing in on itself.
What we know about the passengers who died on the Titan
HOW TO AVOID IMPLOSION
To avoid the implosion of a submarine, or any other object subjected to these large differences in pressure between its internal and external zone, the essential thing is to secure the structure well. If it has enough resistance to withstand the pressure to which it is subjected, there will be no problem. On the other hand, if there is any leakage or resistance is lost at some point of weakness, the pressure will act and it will cause the entire structure to collapse, just as it seems to have happened with the Titan submersible.
The fundamental thing is, therefore, that the external part, the shell, of any object that is going to be found under these extreme situations has passed security exams, in which it is guaranteed that it has the appropriate characteristics to face this type of travel.
In addition, it is essential to know in depth all the factors that govern the aquatic environment to visit: the pressure in that sector, the existence of currents, changes in salinity… Leaving any of them in the air can mean the lost of control of the submersible or the change in the atmosphere inside.
Titanic: this is how the visits to the sunken ocean liner are
THE EFFECTS ON YOUR BODY
Under the sea, the effects of pressure are felt very quickly, without the need to dive too deep. Have you ever experienced ear pain when diving to the bottom of a pool? That’s because your eardrum suffers a compression by the difference in pressure between the outside and the inside of your head. Likewise, divers also experience great difficulties in breathing, due to the pressure exerted on their lungs: the opening and closing movements for the air intake become very difficult.
In the case of the Titan crew, the sudden implosion would have killed them in a matter of milliseconds. That is to say, it would be a painless tragedy and of which they will not have been aware due to its immediacy. The pressure difference would have collapsed the sub and everything inside it, instantly ripping it apart and making it disappear in on itself and collapse.
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