The main hull

The main hull will be a pressure vessel containing the video camera, the motor controllers and all the electronic boards necessary for the vehicle control and eventual sensors feedbacks. Perfect resistance to water ingress will be needed to protect all the precious boards. Basically, the hull can be constructed from aluminium or composite materials pipes. Using PVC pipes could also be an option : With light weight, low cost, easy to find, available with a number of caps and connections, it seems to be the fastest and cheapest way to build your hull. Choice is yours, depending on the materials and tools you can have access to. Aluminium will allow you to build a very strong hull, but welding will probably be necessary if you install a midship thruster. Using composite material has the benefits of lightness, no corosion efects, and you will be able to control exactly the strenght (thickness) if you build the pipe yourself. On another hand, it´s a lengthy process since you will have to mold and then finish all the parts. Also, composite materials need some precautions to avoid health problems. With PVC pipes, you need to find the right combination between the elements of the hull.

There are five main elements in the main hull: The main housing, the midship thruster housing, the rear endcap, the front endcap and the acrilic dome.

It´s a piece of 125mm (5 inches) pipe of the material of your choice. Whatever you´re using, the inside surface should be clean enough at both ends to allow a correct sealing surface for the o´rings. Thickness between 3 and 4 mm should be ok.

Another pice of pipe, about 2 inches in diameter, whatever suits your electric motor. This pipe goes through the main pipe and is welded or bonded to it.

Machined from aluminium, it has a doble o´ring to fight water ingress.

Same as the rear one, but a groove in the front will receive an acrilic dome.

It´s the view-port for our video-camera. It will be bonded in the groove of the front endcap with polyuretane sealing paste.

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