3D effervescence Modeling of a Titan submarine

An extraterrestrial submarine was studied to explore Saturn’s moon Titan, under a Phase II NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) study. One of the primary design concerns for the submarine is the effect of effervescence on submarine operation. Nitrogen gas is highly soluble in Titan’s methane-rich sea, Ligeia Mare. Waste heat from the submarine power system may cause this dissolved nitrogen gas to come out of solution; in a quiescent case, bubbles that form may interfere with science instruments, and in a moving case, bubbles that form along the submarine may coalesce at the aft end and cause cavitation in the propellers. This paper introduces the Phase II orbiter-supported submarine, updated mission profile, critical subsystems, as well as relevant models needed to quantify effervescence as a function of the location and operation within Ligeia Mare. Phase I and Phase II submersible designs are also compared and contrasted.