Special glass observation window

The observation window of manned submersibles usually uses lightweight and highly transparent organic glass (polymethyl methacrylate) as the core material. This material has stable performance, good toughness, and excellent pressure resistance, and there will be obvious signs before damage. The structure of observation windows is mainly divided into three types: frustum shaped, spherical fan-shaped, and flat circular. The specific selection needs to comprehensively consider factors such as structural strength, manufacturing cost, field of view, and installation and maintenance convenience.

The unit is designed for unsupervised public use: controls are recessed or shielded, moving parts are enclosed, and the interface is operable by a child of about six with no instruction. Where a screen is used, the language can be switched without changing the hardware, and the content can be replaced on site.

The transparent structure of the observation window used by the submersible for external observation in the manned cabin is made of polymethyl methacrylate (organic glass) polymer transparent material, which has physical properties such as low density and high transparency. In terms of mechanical properties, organic glass exhibits characteristics such as strain rate strengthening and high strain rate embrittlement. It shows ductile failure under quasi-static loading and significant brittle fracture under high-speed dynamic loading. For nearly 100 years, the mainstream observation windows for manned submersibles internationally have been dominated by organic glass, and in order to better resist water pressure of tens of thousands of meters, a conical structure with a larger outer surface and a smaller inner surface has been adopted. 1. Three classic observation windows (1) Cone shaped observation window Cone shaped observation window is currently the main structural form of submersible observation window. It has a small opening on the pressure resistant shell and can maintain good sealing in high-pressure environments. Compared to a flat circular shape, a conical observation window provides a wider field of view and better structure.