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Impressive! Scientists are exploring ways to rescue the Titanic 3,8 miles from the surface, with methods including buoyancy tanks and nitrogen

Written by Bruno Teles
Published 29/03/2024 às 19:33
Impressive! Scientists are exploring ways to rescue the Titanic 3,8 miles from the surface, with methods including buoyancy tanks and nitrogen
Photo: Illustration

Scientists propose revolutionary methods to salvage the Titanic, using flotation tanks to lift the sunken giant from the bottom of the North Atlantic, challenging the limits of engineering in an unprecedented mission more than a century after its tragic loss.

The RMS Titanic, which rests at more than 12.500 feet, about 3,8 miles deep in the North Atlantic, may finally leave its seabed thanks to human ingenuity. After colliding with an iceberg on April 15, 1912 and sinking on its maiden voyage. Today, scientists propose a bold approach to rescue the Titanic: use flotation tanks.

This idea involves attaching large air-filled containers to the wreck's hull, creating enough upward force to bring it to the surface. The theoretical simplicity of the method contrasts with the practical complexity, given the enormity of the Titanic, measuring 269,9 meters long and weighing 46.000 tons. Overcoming extreme pressure in the ocean depths and ensuring a balanced distribution of buoyancy are just some of the monumental challenges.

To lift the Titanic from the bottom of the sea, it needs large buoyancy tanks

To carry out the plan, customized flotation tanks would be needed, capable of withstanding pressures of around 5.500 pounds, almost 2 and a half tons, more than twice the pressure in a car tire, above water pressure. Furthermore, implementation requires advanced technology to position and secure the tanks precisely on the wreckage, which is fragmented into two large sections separated by 610 meters.

The operation would be meticulously monitored, requiring enormous amounts of compressed air to displace the water and raise the Titanic. Remotely operated vehicles and specialized divers would play crucial roles in installing and maintaining the tanks, facing the challenge of working in a hostile and unpredictable environment. The vision of recovering the Titanic challenges the limits of modern engineering and captures the global imagination, promising one of the most spectacular maritime rescue missions in history.

The other proposed method is freezing with liquid nitrogen

The liquid nitrogen freezing method involves creating a containment structure around the Titanic's wreckage, followed by pumping in liquid nitrogen to quickly freeze the surrounding water, effectively turning the ship into a massive block of ice. This approach faces significant challenges, such as the need for an enormous amount of liquid nitrogen to generate the cold needed to encapsulate an object as large as the Titanic, which is more than 300 meters long and weighs 46.000 tons.

Building a metal mesh around the wreckage to contain the ship and protect its fragile structure is a complex operation, and there is also concern about the environmental impact on the delicate marine ecosystem. Honestly, transporting this large amount of liquid nitrogen to the seabed, overcoming the high pressure and keeping the nitrogen in liquid form while it is pumped to the site are enormous logistical and technical challenges. These factors make the freezing method Liquid nitrogen an option that is theoretically possible, but extremely challenging in practice.

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Bruno Teles

I talk about technology, innovation, oil and gas. I update daily about opportunities in the Brazilian market. With more than 2.300 articles published in CPG. Agenda suggestion? Send it to brunotelesredator@gmail.com

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