Tennessee Tech sub captures gold, silver at World Submarine Invitational

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (April 5, 1996) -- Tennessee Tech's Human-Powered Submarine Team captured gold and silver medals at the World Submarine Invitational, fulfilling a two-year drive by students to set record speeds with their newest sub, Torpedo III.

The six-day event ended April 4 with TTU student John Gore of Nashville in first place, collegiate division, one-person propeller class, for 5.7 knots. In the collegiate two-person propeller class, Gore and Mike Tucker landed a silver medal for a speed of 6.1 knots, trailing only .4 knots behind class leader OMER, raced by students from Montreal's Ecole de Technologie Superieure. Tennessee Tech's long-time rival in sub racing, Florida Atlantic University trailed behind in both classes, chalking up 4.5 knots in a one-person run and 6.0 knots in the two-person class.

While Tennessee Tech and rivals jockeyed for position, the clear leader at the event was a slip of a sub named SubStandard raced by two brothers from California. On the first day of the World Submarine Invitational, SubStandard laid down a blistering 6.7 knot speed that no other team could equal. Guinness officals confirmed it: SubStandard is the new world record holder for top speed.

"Essentially we were out-engineered -- not by much, but by enough," team adviser Joe Scardina said, summing up SubStandard's impact on Tennessee Tech and the remainder of the field.

The speed Substandard achieved the first day of the competition left everyone reeling in surprise, he said. Competitors had arrived at the event expecting to see speeds in excess of 6 knots, but not in the high 6-knot range. SubStandard's team members, two brothers from Northridge, Calif., arrived at the Offshore Model Basin in a pick-up truck, unloaded their sub, did six runs and left -- leaving everyone gasping in their wake.

Tennessee Tech's team achieved speeds close to what it set out to do and what Torpedo III's propeller blades were optimized for: 6.2 knots. The team took 25 runs, experimenting with one- and two-person configurations and using different combinations of propellers, but found it impossible to come closer to Substandard's dazzling performance.

"Even though we didn't win, it's impressive to think that four teams at this event -- including us -- exceeded 6 knots and surpassing the previous world speed record (5.9 knots)," Scardina said. "In December the fastest speed we reached was 5.6 knots. The fact that the students reached 6.2 knots this time really underscores how well they're doing."

The message for next year's races delivered by Substandard is that "everyone must work harder," he added wryly.

Tennessee Tech's hopes still afloat in underwater competition

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (April 4, 1996) -- In California two subs, "SubStandard" and "Omer," have laid down a challenge to Tennessee Technological University and other competitors at the World Submarine Invitational.

The team from TTU spent two hours in competition late Wednesday, with its two-person crew reaching a top speed of 6.165 knots. This surpassed the 6.0 knot barrier that Tennessee Tech and other human-powered submarine racers have long been shooting for, but it fell short of the current field leaders at the event underway in Escondido, Calif. On the first day of competition, SubStandard literally set the standard for all other competitors when it established a speed of 6.7 knots in a one-person run, shattering previous speeds for both one- and two-person propeller-driven subs. Days later, Omer chalked up a maximum speed of 6.5 knots in a two-person run.

As of Wednesday night with only a half day left in the competition, those speeds led the field and had most competitors still reeling in surprise. "Both were a big shock to (previous record holder) Florida Atlantic University," said FAU adviser Ray McAllister. "We hope to do better in '98." Others who had expected to see maximum speeds in the low 6-knot range echoed that statement with feeling.

Yesterday Tennessee Tech stuck to runs using a two-person crew, the traditional configuration the university has raced with, where one student pedals furiously and another, face pressed into the sub's clear nose cone, navigates. This morning, team members intended to roll up their sleeves and experiment -- trying one-person runs with powerful John Gore of Nashville both propelling and navigating the sub. On the outside, the students said they will try different propeller configurations using two- and three-blade combinations of specially designed carbon fiber blades. Their effort may result in incremental speed increases, but it is unlikely to overturn SubStandard's dazzling finish, which eclipsed FAU's previous world record by a whopping 13 percent.

While their effort so far in the World Submarine Invitational hasn't broken records, the team from Tennessee did find themselves the center of media attention, capturing the imagination of a number of reporters. A videocrew representing the Discovery Channel's "Beyond 2000" chose Tennessee Tech as the team it will profile in an upcoming segment. The crew spent the day trailing the students, interviewing team members, videotaping underwater footage and recording the team as it prepared for runs. Reporters from California and from England also converged on team members and their bright yellow "Torpedo III."

The six-day event culminates more than two years of preparation on the part of Tennessee Tech's team. Human-powered submarine racing presents an array of intellectual and physical challenges. Students -- and most competitors do represent colleges and universities -- design the subs from the inside out, choosing propulsion and steering systems and deciding how the crew will fit in the vehicle. They also wrestle with the boat's overall shape, its mass, surface area and resistance in the water. After months of design and testing, they then build their vehicle and test it further. The subs operate with wet chambers, meaning team members also must become proficient with scuba gear and underwater breathing apparatus and maintain that equipment, managing valves, masks, air tanks and a battery of associated gear.

Many community members have given Tennessee Tech's team generous assistance with this work. The university's Student Monies Allocation Committee covered airfare for the 13 team members. Other sponsors include Bennett Industries, Metcom Inc., Bank of Putnam County, Triangle Plastics, Signworks, Cookie Town Rod & Kustom, team adviser Joe Scardina and Tennessee Tech's Center of Excellence for Manufacturing Research and Department of Mechanical Engineering. Outside the region, the technology firm Bayer contributed polycarbonate resin used for the sub's nose and hatches. And Roadway made its own unique contribution: transporting the sub and associated equipment to and from San Diego at minimal cost.

The students expected to compete until noon today, when the event was scheduled to end and top finishers to be announced.

Reports of new speeds questioned, TTU team may still have a chance at setting record speed

Members of Tennessee Tech's sub team, along with many other competitors at the World Submarine Invitational, were aghast to hear that a speed of 6.7 knots had been set by a two-person team the very first day of the WSI.

Although reports remain sketchy, a member of Florida Atlantic University's team has questioned that report and said he understands the 6.7 knot run was for a one-person team and that the fastest time so far for a two-person team is actually 6.4 knots -- far closer to the range that TTU and many other teams had expected for two-person runs.

Tennessee Tech intends to compete in both one- and two-person classes. The 6.7 knot speed set last Saturday was by a sub with 20 percent less mass than Torpedo III, meaning that speed will be tough for TTU to beat. Using computer modeling, however, the students were able to determine that high 6 knot speeds are possible for their boat IF propulser John Gore is able to achieve a .75 to 1 horsepower output for 15 or more seconds.

Gore will have his chance to do just that when TTU takes to the water Wednesday afternoon. Return to this site late Wednesday for an update.

Tennessee Tech submariners aim at new world record at World Submarine Invitational underway in Calif.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (April 2, 1996) -- Tennessee Technological University's submarine team is at it again.

The student submariners arrive in San Diego, Calif., late Tuesday (April 2) for the World Submarine Invitational (WSI), a six-day event already underway in an offshore model basin in Escondido. By Wednesday afternoon, the students will have their 12-foot sub, Torpedo III, in the water in competition. They will compete again Thursday morning, the final day of the event.

This is the first year Tennessee Tech has taken part in the invitational, or WSI for short. Unlike the East Coast-based International Submarine Races, which judge subs on speed, innovation and design, the only measure that matters at the WSI is speed.

In December, Tennessee Tech's team won the "Best Absolute Speed" prize and first place for fastest speed by a two-person, propeller-driven sub (academic class) at the International Submarine Races, but the students left knowing the real challenge awaited them at the WSI.

The event underway in California holds greater stakes for several reasons. All speeds are being established under the watchful eyes of Guinness Book of World Records officials, and last year's WSI resulted in a new world speed record. That record was set by Tennessee Tech's long-time rival, Florida Atlantic University, which skipped December's sub races in favor of this year's WSI, meaning FAU is primed to give Tennessee Tech a run for the money. The WSI also features a larger field than the students encountered in December, meaning a greater number of challengers for top speed.

But the biggest challenge came Saturday, when "SubStandard," a small quicksilver sub designed and raced by two brothers from Northridge, Calif., achieved a speed that took everyone's breath away. Since the sub races began, competitors have been inching toward a "6-knot barrier." Most racers expected to see that barrier shattered at this year's WSI, with record speeds set in the low 6-knot range. On the first day of the WSI, SubStandard achieved a blistering 6.4 knots in a one-person run; 6.7 knots in a two-person run.

That left Tennessee Tech's students and many other competitors scrambling to reassess their capabilities. Carbon fiber blades molded by the students especially for the WSI were optimized for performance at 6.2 knots. With news of the 6.7 knot speed arriving over the weekend and their scheduled competition today, the students had no time to construct new blades. But they did have access to computers, and using computer simulations, they determined their blades can achieve high 6-knot speeds ... with one big if: If the student whose legs and lungs power the sub -- propulser John Gore -- can sustain an output of between .75 and 1 horsepower for 15 seconds. A powerful Category II cyclist on land, Gore will face his ultimate challenge under water, clad in a wetsuit and dependent upon scuba gear for the oxygen he needs to perform at optimal levels.

Since January, Tennessee Tech students have honed design and performance aspects of the submarine with particular attention to the support and air supply Gore needs to excel. At the event today and tomorrow, Gore will provide the power as Tennessee Tech's team competes in both one- and two-person categories. The students know they will set speeds above 6 knots, but how far above remains to be seen.

Twenty-three experimental human-powered submarine teams from across North America, largely from colleges and universities, are participating in the event. The WSI aims to inspire innovation in ocean engineering and technology in an event that features challenge, fun and education. This year's event is sponsored by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography of the University of California, San Diego and sanctioned by both Guinness and the International Human Powered Vehicle Association.

ON THE WEB

Readers can explore more about the WSI and human-powered submarines through two sites on the World Wide Web. Tennessee Tech's sub team maintains a wide range of information, images and even Quicktime and MPEG movies. Scripps Institution is providing regular event updates at the WSI site. Watch for updates.

You can also catch up on the sub team's performance at the International Submarine Races, held in December 1995, by exploring some of our earlier press releases.

--Margot Emery