WhyNot?

Submarine useable space

Category: Other
Responses: 3 (3 in support, 0 neutral, 0 in opposition)
Number of views: 637
Tracking: Track this idea
Community Rating:Average AverageYour Rating:

Many businesses and public services utilize inflatable structures for warehousing goods or sports which require an unobstructed space. These structures can be very large and have proved reliable enough for many uses. Where the rental of land is pricey, if there is a lake in the area, it should be possible to erect these structures on the floor of the lake where the land is not in use. A series of airlocks could provide access to the submarine structure without permitting the escape of the air necessary for support. Conceivably this type of submarine structure could have transparent panels incorporated in the skin so that in areas where marine life is fascinating and the water is clear, the public could view the panorama from the sea bottom.A restaurant constructed on this principle might prove popular.Also, in hurricane country, a lake surface might provide protection from the winds.

sand, Aug 23 2004

What do you think of this idea or comment?
(You can change your vote at any time)

agree I agree no opinion No opinion disagree I disagree

Users who liked this idea also liked:

Better Brake Light (348 votes) Very strong
Airport charity (130 votes) Very strong
Attachment Notation (121 votes) Very strong
Aerial pictures in flight (176 votes) Very strong
Refrigerator (88 votes) Very strong
Audio-in Jacks in Cars (149 votes) Very strong
GPS and Digital Photos (140 votes) Very strong
Ending the war on drugs (191 votes) Very strong
This concept is great! (112 votes) Very strong
like IMDB but for government (89 votes) Very strong

Other ideas in category (Other):

Finding a parking space (17 votes) Very strong
Lottery at PayTolls (1 votes) Average
free furnace (1 votes) Average
High tent for outdoor concerts (1 votes) Average
DVR Sharing/Networking (1 votes) Average
dentistry on a plane (2 votes) Average
Glass with thermometer (2 votes) Average
Directions (In plain English.) (1 votes) Average
Radio TiVo (11 votes) Strong
FREE SNAIL MAIL (2 votes) Average
Clothing Exchange (2 votes) Average
Cold weather gloves (2 votes) Average
Double sided Velcro tape (3 votes) Average
Single wallet ID card (3 votes) Average
Digital Photo Editing Service (1 votes) Average
Twist surprise egg machine (1 votes) Average
mom's cuddle (4 votes) Average
Poinsettia Recycling (1 votes) Average
baby (4 votes) Average
Cigarettes w/ Strikeable Tips (2 votes) Average
Introduce 'talking' or 'quiet' (1 votes) Average
Virtual planets (2 votes) Average
Bring back Led Zeppelin!!!!! (2 votes) Average
Unique Voice Generation (1 votes) Average
Voice clarity (2 votes) Average
Babyface (1 votes) Average
Transatlantic By Pendulum (6 votes) Weak
Life Indicators on batteries (2 votes) Average
authors for hire (3 votes) Average
Move Mars to better orbit (8 votes) Weak
Use Commuters as a workforce (0 votes) Very weak
Texture Mapping Digital Camera (2 votes) Average
Hanging jigsaw puzzle (1 votes) Average
Hanging jigsaw puzzle (2 votes) Average
Jigsaw Puzzle w/out Cover Pic (2 votes) Average
Mobile Sun Block Booth (4 votes) Average
Useless info on top whynot.net (1 votes) Average
Bicycle tracking / Recovery (2 votes) Average
Dispersion Channels (2 votes) Average
Music Search (2 votes) Average
Personalized dolls (2 votes) Average
Erasible printing (5 votes) Strong
Missing Children Channel Plus (2 votes) Average
Pay to View Video Monitor (2 votes) Average
wireless i-pod (14 votes) Strong
Elliminating the carousel (2 votes) Average
repair ballpoint pens (6 votes) Average
Laptop check-in at Wi-Fi cafes (2 votes) Average
Universal ID (passport, DL) (5 votes) Average
Rechargable TV Remote (7 votes) Average
Ancient Greece & S. America (7 votes) Weak
Thanksgiving in October (9 votes) Average
stealth shoes (2 votes) Average
Submarine useable space (3 votes) Average
Weapons ideas (6 votes) Average
Seeing through Things (2 votes) Average
Is it OK? (5 votes) Average
centrifugal separation (2 votes) Average
sensor in public toilets (1 votes) Average
exam writer (1 votes) Average
Unify the military services (6 votes) Average
Buy Indivisual Socks (4 votes) Average
All Gum Ball Form (2 votes) Average
Soda Mix (1 votes) Average
Whiteout (1 votes) Average
Actual Movie Times (1 votes) Average
Universal Outlets (1 votes) Average
Pluto's disgrace (3 votes) Average
Roller Coaster Tram (6 votes) Strong
Airliner Building (5 votes) Average
MagLev theme-park flight (6 votes) Average
Split Ownership Mortgage (4 votes) Average
risk based capital insurance (1 votes) Average
Finger print ID gun. (2 votes) Average
aMaZiNg To0tbRush.. (3 votes) Average
Optic Nerve Signal Recording (1 votes) Average
Double scale thermometer (2 votes) Average
Anti-Airplaine Hijacking (6 votes) Average
abductions (1 votes) Average
The Alarm Lock (1 votes) Average
frequen flyer securityFreepass (5 votes) Weak
Stun Gun on Wild Animals (4 votes) Average
Longtime farming fertilization (1 votes) Average
Dot flasher (1 votes) Average
Lost luggage at the airport (2 votes) Average
More Hand Dryers (3 votes) Average
yardsale.com (3 votes) Average
Book (4 votes) Average
more efficient calendar (2 votes) Average
Self-Cooling Bullets (1 votes) Average
Aquarium Sub Cam (9 votes) Strong
Daylight savings without tears (7 votes) Weak
Time direction in a multiverse (1 votes) Average
Book title readout (4 votes) Weak
Long Term Care Insurance (1 votes) Average
A Starry Night, for once (6 votes) Strong
Coordinated CC Due Date (1 votes) Average
randomizing start of alphabet (13 votes) Average
Convertible buildings (3 votes) Average
Aquarium Subs (8 votes) Strong
Knee Defender (3 votes) Average
Comments from other members:

Add your comment

A: Enviromental concerns could be a problem.B: The costs could be more, or at least equal that of terrestrial space, plus have a longer time to develop and consruct.

classicsat, Aug 26 2004

So how are you going to keep this giant air bubble under the water? And if its very large in a small lake, won't it disperse the water in the lake?

Michael, Aug 27 2004

Using water for warehousing could be augmented by a different design. Instead of enclosing the warehouse, enclose individual objects or shipments. If you water-proof a shipping container, for example, you can weight it to neutral bouancy. Then you can move it around with very light machinery.

I tend to think, however, that the whole issue may be made obsolete by just-in-time inventory management.

sevans, Sep 11 2004

I've had a similar idea for some time. But I think a better use than warehousing would be an undersea research and industrial facility. Once a Kevlar-reinforced, transparent synthetic "bubble" membrane is anchored to the sea floor and filled with breathable air, permanent structures could be erected inside to provide a "shirt sleeve" work environment. Regular visits by submarine cargo vessels could stock the facility with fuel, food, breathing gases, and other supplies for the workforce. Commercial submarine vessels could use the facility as an undersea port to restock, rotate personnel, even have light maintenence and repair work done.

Beaugrand, Nov 28 2004

If your plan was in a marine environment, what about earthquakes? Seems to me that anything anchored to the sea floor would be hard to protect.

Regardless of whether it was marine or fresh water wouldn't it take a lot of energy to pressurize breathable gasses?

plane340, Oct 25 2005

If the structure is at a fairly deep depth, it will be necessary for visitors to undergo lengthy decompression procedures to avoid the bends. What's the advantage of using inflatable structures instead of rigid ones? If you use concrete, the structure will be stronger, heavier(which will reduce the tendancy to float), and will not need to be pressurized, elliminating the need for airlocks or decompression.

Dwane Anderson, Jan 08 2007