Manufacturing processes of composite materials for a human-powered submarine

Human-powered submarines are controllable underwater vehicles, which are designed and built to achieve maximum speed over a 100-meter course. Manufacturing the submarine as close to neutrally buoyant as possible has become a priority for competing teams. As human-powered submarines have decreased in volume to minimize mass, the insertion of buoyant materials during the manufacturing process has taken on a new importance. The most advanced submarine designs utilize several techniques to achieve a strong, yet lightweight structure. Strategic placement of buoyant materials during composite manufacturing has several advantages that are beneficial to the performance of the submarine. This paper describes the techniques used by the Human-Powered Submarine Team of Virginia Tech in the construction of Phantom 4.