Ceramic Spheres—A Novel Solution to Deep Sea Buoyancy Modules

Jiang, Bo; Blugan, Gurdial; Sturzenegger, Philip N.; Gonzenbach, Urs T.; Misson, Michael; Thornberry, John; Stenerud, R.; Cartlidge, David; Kuebler, Jakob

doi:10.3390/ma9070529

Cited by 17 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The average value of the compressive strength was 3847 ± 249 MPa (ranged from 3467 MPa to 4239 MPa), which was also close to the Si 3 N 4 material prepared by traditional processes (see in Table 1). As the compressive strength was tested, the collapse strength P C of an ideal hollow sphere could be estimated by the formula [3,12] PC=2σCtr where σ C is the compressive strength of the material, t is the wall thickness of the ceramic sphere, and r is the spherical radius. For the Si 3 N 4 floatation spheres prepared in this study, t is 1.77 mm (the minimum value), r was 50.79 mm, and the calculated theoretical collapse strength of the floatation sphere was 268 MPa.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ceramic materials have a great advantage as deep-sea pressure-resistant materials because of their high compressive strength-to-weight ratio relative to high-strength steels and titanium alloys. Alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) ceramics were first used to produce hollow spheres as buoyancy modules [1,2,3] and external pressure housings for deep-sea vehicles [4]. However, compared to silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) ceramics (see in Table 1), Al 2 O 3 ceramics are not the best choice in terms of high compressive strength and low density.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the production of Al 2 O 3 ceramic floatation spheres [1,2,3], seamless hollow spheres were prepared by rotation casting and pressureless sintering after drying. However, for Si 3 N 4 ceramics, the seamless hollow sphere greenbody is not available.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Additive Manufacturing of Silicon Nitride Ceramic Floatation Spheres with Excellent Mechanical Properties

Zhang

et al. 2019

Materials

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) ceramic materials are increasingly being used in deep-sea pressure-resistant applications because of their high compressive strength-to-weight ratio. In the present study, Si3N4 ceramic floatation spheres with an outer diameter of approximately 101 mm are successfully batch produced and evaluated. The implementation method was to prepare Si3N4 ceramic hemispherical housings and pair them together. In order to improve the safety of the joint, the hemispherical Si3N4 housings were gradually thickened from 1.80 to 2.50 mm at the equator near the joining surface, based on a 3D model with additive manufacturing technology. The weight-to-displacement ratio of the prepared floatation sphere is approximately 0.34 g/cm3. The flexural strength, compressive strength of the material and the collapse strength of a number of Si3N4 floatation spheres were tested to be 1150, 3847, and 205 MPa, respectively, to confirm the reliability of the process. Additional sustained and cyclic hydrostatic pressure tests simulating the full ocean depth working conditions are carried out on several Si3N4 floatation spheres, which perform very well and do not fail.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Additive Manufacturing of Silicon Nitride Ceramic Floatation Spheres with Excellent Mechanical Properties

Zhang

et al. 2019

Materials

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Fly Ash hollow spheres (FAHS) fabricated by stack-sintering and gel-casting techniques have shown noticeable increase in compressive strength despite thin walls, highlighting the suitability of the material for applications such as thermal and acoustic insulators, fluid filters and matrix foams [32]. Alumina based thin-walled hollow spheres were also investigated for applications in deep sea modules as these structures display a strong compressive performance accompanied with lightweight [33].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanical performance of lightweight ceramic structures via binder jetting of microspheres

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Geometrically-complex and lightweight ceramic parts manufactured via 3D printing are prospective structures that seem to provide excellent thermal, wear and dielectric performance. In the present work, binder jetted parts based on synthetic lightweight ceramic hollow microspheres were manufactured and evaluated under different testing conditions in order to characterize their mechanical performance. The resulting structures were assessed in terms of quasi-static flexural and compressive strength, and density. Furthermore, microscopy analyses highlighted the composition of the final structures and fracture mechanisms. The printed system mainly consisted of aluminum silicon dioxide, fly ash and traces of metal. The samples yielded similar strength as that achieved on conventional bulk-based 3D printed ceramic structures. It was observed that the strength of the printed microspheres increased by sintering the parts to near-fusion temperatures due to viscous flow of material during sintering. The combination of the proposed process and feedstock represents an attractive manufacturing method for fabricating lightweight structures for applications like composite tooling molds, electromagnetic devices, and biomedical implants.

show abstract

“…In a 2016 study Jiang et al [30] noted that they could produce ceramic spheres for 1% of the previous reported product price and that these spheres could replace the use of plastic and glass microspheres.…”

Section: Buoyancymentioning

confidence: 99%

Inspection-Class Remotely Operated Vehicles—A Review

Capocci

Dooly

Omerdić

et al. 2017

JMSE

180

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper presents a review of inspection-class Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). The review divides the classification of inspection-class ROVs; categorising the vehicles in order of size and capability. A state of the art technology review is undertaken, discussing various common subsystems of the ROV. Standard and novel ROV shapes and designs are reviewed, with emphasis on buoyancy, frame materials and hydrodynamics. Several power considerations and designs are discussed, accounting for battery fed and mains fed systems. ROV telemetry is split into a discussion on the various transmission hardware systems and the communication protocols that are most widely used in industry and research today. A range of thruster technologies is then introduced with consideration taken of the various thruster architectures available. Finally, the navigation and positioning sensors employed for ROV navigation and control are reviewed. The author has also created a number of comparison tables throughout the review; tables include comparison of wired data transmission technology, comparison of common ROV communication protocols and comparisons of various inertial navigation systems. By the end of the review the reader will have clearer understanding on the fundamentals of inspection-class ROV technologies and can use this as an introduction to further paper investigation.

show abstract

Ceramic Spheres—A Novel Solution to Deep Sea Buoyancy Modules

Cited by 17 publications

References 14 publications

Additive Manufacturing of Silicon Nitride Ceramic Floatation Spheres with Excellent Mechanical Properties

Additive Manufacturing of Silicon Nitride Ceramic Floatation Spheres with Excellent Mechanical Properties

Mechanical performance of lightweight ceramic structures via binder jetting of microspheres

Inspection-Class Remotely Operated Vehicles—A Review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About