Equipment operation and achievements of research submersible, the Sinkai.
The Sinkai, the first fully-equipped research submersible in Japan, was constructed for the purpose of investigating the capabilities of a free-diving submersible to be employed in scientific research on the continental shelf. Following the plan prepared by the Science and Technology Agency, she was constructed by the Maritime Safety Agency at the dockyard of Kawasaki Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. in March 1969. The Sinkai is 16. 52 m in length, 6. 59 m in width, and 6. 75 m in height, and has a displacement of 90. 88 tons. She can accommodate a crew of three plus one scientist to a depth of 600 m, and has a speed of 2. 24 knots under water. She has a special power supply, a new type of oil-immersed lead acid battery. The main equipment is as follows: an underwater positioning device, an acoustic telephone, a manipulator, and a TV camera. After the training of the crew in diving techniques for one year, the research operations were begun by the Hydrographic Department in April 1970. Although, in the early stages, the operation had various teething-troubles, such as batteries defects and manipulator problems, she functioned satisfactorily after extensive improvements in 1972. The Sinkai has made 30 dives for submarine topography and geology, 29 dives for marine biology, 27 dives for gravity measurement, and 64 dives for other miscellaneous investigations. Throughout the Sinkai’s whole performance, the necessity of a mother-vessel for the exclusive support of the research submersibles has been emphasized, and knowledge, which will enable the reliability of the underwater instruments to be increased, has been accumulated. The Sinkai was decommissioned in January 1977, and is now exhibited at the Maritime Safety Academy in Kure for the enhancement of knowledge in marine science and safety.
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| Format: | Journal Contribution biblioteca |
| Language: | Japanese |
| Published: |
1979
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/16305 |
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| Summary: | The Sinkai, the first fully-equipped research submersible in Japan, was constructed for the purpose of investigating the capabilities of a free-diving submersible to be employed in scientific research on the continental shelf. Following the plan prepared by the Science and Technology Agency, she was constructed by the Maritime Safety Agency at the dockyard of Kawasaki Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. in March 1969.
The Sinkai is 16. 52 m in length, 6. 59 m in width, and 6. 75 m in height, and has a displacement of 90. 88 tons. She can accommodate a crew of three plus one scientist to a depth of
600 m, and has a speed of 2. 24 knots under water. She has a special power supply, a new type of oil-immersed lead acid battery. The main equipment is as follows: an underwater positioning
device, an acoustic telephone, a manipulator, and a TV camera.
After the training of the crew in diving techniques for one year, the research operations were begun by the Hydrographic Department in April 1970. Although, in the early stages, the operation had various teething-troubles, such as batteries defects and manipulator problems, she functioned satisfactorily after extensive improvements in 1972.
The Sinkai has made 30 dives for submarine topography and geology, 29 dives for marine biology, 27 dives for gravity measurement, and 64 dives for other miscellaneous investigations. Throughout the Sinkai’s whole performance, the necessity of a mother-vessel for the exclusive support of the research submersibles has been emphasized, and knowledge, which will enable the reliability of the underwater instruments to be increased, has been accumulated.
The Sinkai was decommissioned in January 1977, and is now exhibited at the Maritime Safety Academy in Kure for the enhancement of knowledge in marine science and safety. |
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