Florida-based Triton has been making high-end civilian submarines used not only by scientists but also by commercial companies and ultra-rich superyacht owners for more than a decade. Triton is known for submarines characterised by a sphere or bubble of acrylic. This gives the driver the feeling of ultimate freedom.
The latest Triton is the Titanic Explorer which is at once the deepest diving submarine with Plexiglas sphere. It can submerge up to 4,000m, more than enough to view the Titanic's wreck some 3,800m underwater.
Visit to Titanic
The new submarine does not just lend itself to a visit to Titanic. It is equipped with huge, hinged wings at the top. These fold down against the sides of the Plexiglas sphere for a nice smooth hydrodynamic shape as you go down or up through the water. This makes the journey to Titanic's depths just two hours, considerably faster than previously possible.
When unfolded, the wings have a width of 6 metres. Because they are equipped with lighting and camera ports, taking photos or videos at great depths is a lot more comfortable. In addition, the wings also contain propulsion units. Useful if you are close to the seabed or a wreck and still want to be able to manoeuvre freely without disruption. Also noteworthy is the Silent Glide function. This allows the submarine to maintain a fixed course, follow an object or simply 'glide' down in a controlled manner during descent in a gently gliding motion, without using the drives. Thus, the environment is not disturbed and no disturbing noises are introduced during video recordings.
Propulsion
The Titanic Explorer has enough battery power for two-person expeditions of more than 12 hours. This requires only 40 kWh of batteries. The submarine is equipped with four main and four auxiliary electric propellers, each with a power of 5.5 kW. It weighs 12,000 kg, and measures 4.45 x 2.75 x 3 m when folded. Want to know more? Check out the video to experience what it is like to sail underwater in the acrylic sphere.
