I think a boat/raft/float of some kind for Titan lakes with a tethered 'sinker probe' of some kind is a little more feasible than a submarine.
Among other issues, is the fluid on Titan transparent ? To light? Radio waves? IR? So, what is a sub going to do for you? An echo sounder can get depths and profile the bottom. If the fluid is opaque to radio waves, you'll have to surface to transmit anything.
A microphone might be interesting to have in the fluid. Listen to gurgles and splashes, maybe some seismic rumbles.
And powering the sub? An RTG generates 10X as much heat as electricity. Now maybe there is something interesting you can do with 4000 watts of heat at the bottom of the fluid, besides boiling a tremendous amount of it away, but it should be thought out before going there.
Is the fluid viscous? Are there layers of different viscosity? Density? How much ballast goes on the sub? A sinker can be heavy enough for any reasonable fluid expected.
Also, the fluid is (IIRC) a non-polar liquid. We are accustomed to water, a polar substance. The gist is, the Titanian fluid (IIRC) won't dissolve salts and other polar compounds very well, but will dissolve some non-polar materials with ease. Like seals and gaskets and insulation. Best to understand completely before going.
Are there surface currents? Wind? Different currents in the depths ? Just operating a boat on the surface might be a challenge.
What about 'stuff' floating in the fluid? Worth studying? How about 'stuff' building up on the shore on the leeward side of the pond ? Worth checking it out?
We don't go to Titan very often, nice to anticipate 'everything' for our first dedicated lake mission, but how much (expensive) risk is tolerable ?
Among other issues, is the fluid on Titan transparent ? To light? Radio waves? IR? So, what is a sub going to do for you? An echo sounder can get depths and profile the bottom. If the fluid is opaque to radio waves, you'll have to surface to transmit anything.
A microphone might be interesting to have in the fluid. Listen to gurgles and splashes, maybe some seismic rumbles.
And powering the sub? An RTG generates 10X as much heat as electricity. Now maybe there is something interesting you can do with 4000 watts of heat at the bottom of the fluid, besides boiling a tremendous amount of it away, but it should be thought out before going there.
Is the fluid viscous? Are there layers of different viscosity? Density? How much ballast goes on the sub? A sinker can be heavy enough for any reasonable fluid expected.
Also, the fluid is (IIRC) a non-polar liquid. We are accustomed to water, a polar substance. The gist is, the Titanian fluid (IIRC) won't dissolve salts and other polar compounds very well, but will dissolve some non-polar materials with ease. Like seals and gaskets and insulation. Best to understand completely before going.
Are there surface currents? Wind? Different currents in the depths ? Just operating a boat on the surface might be a challenge.
What about 'stuff' floating in the fluid? Worth studying? How about 'stuff' building up on the shore on the leeward side of the pond ? Worth checking it out?
We don't go to Titan very often, nice to anticipate 'everything' for our first dedicated lake mission, but how much (expensive) risk is tolerable ?
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