Design of Titan sub may have led to implosion, experts say
Topics: Titanic
Anish Vij
Featured Image Credit: Becky Kagan Schott/OceanGate/ CBS
Topics: Titanic
The design of the Titan sub may have led to the implosion that killed five people, an expert has claimed.
On 22 June, OceanGate Expeditions, a company that takes people to visit the wreck of the Titanic, confirmed that the five men on board the missing Titan submersible had died.
"We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost," a statement from OceanGate read.
The group of five embarked on an expedition which set off from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada on 16 June.
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Ninety minutes into its descent to the Titanic wreck on 18 June, the company lost contact with the submersible.
"Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew," OceanGate added.
Now, it's been claimed the design of the Titan submersible could have led to its implosion.
Dr Jasper Graham-Jones, Associate Professor in Mechanical & Marine Engineering at Plymouth University, explained: "The US coastguard detailed the wreckage was found 1600ft from Titanic’s bow in five pieces.
"These include critical forward and rear sections of the subs pressure bulkhead.
"Normally, such craft pressures’ bulkhead are round like a ball as it provides strongest shape.
"To increase passenger numbers the Composite craft was extended.
"This increases loads in mid sections above normally seen in the rounded end.
"Imagine an eggshell, that can withstand high loads but is very brittle if bent.
"Extending the cabin pressure longitudinal bulkhead puts increased fatigue and delamination loads.
"Fatigue is where you can bend a wire backward and forward and then break under lower load.
"Delamination is like splitting wood down the grain of a log, easier to do than chopping across the grain.
"The debris field of multiple small parts show the catastrophic and rapid failure of the sub which has imploded extremely quickly."
"This craft has lasted 25 runs down to Titanic and back to the surface. Each return run would put cracks in the pressure bulkheads," the professor added.
"This might be small and undetectable to start but soon become critical and produce rapid and uncontrollable growth.
"The loading and critical crack size is basic standard engineering taught to all Engineering students."
Earlier this week, the US Coast Guard (USCG) said it will formally analyse presumed human remains recovered from the wreckage.
UNILAD has contacted OceanGate for a comment.