Types of Submersible

Now most submersibles are connected with a support ship on the surface. This connection is an armored cable measuring an inch or two in diameter and weighing up to 10 tons and it transmits power and navigational commands to the submersible, as well as sends sensor data and television images back to the support ship. Cables allow submersibles to transmit data at a great speed, but they limit the range of territory studied and have many disadvantages in operation.

Autonomous underwater submersibles can move freely. Controlled by on-board microprocessors or by acoustic signals transmitted by a ship on the surface, battery-operated submersibles can cover much greater areas. They can operate under ice and in very deep water. Such three-ton unmanned crafts can submerge to the depth of almost 20,000 feet and stay there for up to seven hours. High quality images of the ocean bottom can be transmitted to the support ship in three to four seconds (because of the slow speed – about 5,000 feet per second through water – acoustic data transmission is much less quick than signals sent via cable which travel at the speed of light).

But even these most advanced submersibles have definite disadvantages: batteries are heavy, data transmission is slow and computer programs are primitive. Future submersibles may overcome those difficulties. Some may be propelled by nuclear power or by fuel cells that use oxygen from the sea water. Many of them will rely on signal-compression techniques to speed up acoustic data links. Computerized systems will enable some submersibles to repair damaged telephone cables or oil platforms. If research work in this field continues to expand at its present rate, the number of radically different kind of more efficient crafts will appear very soon.

Notes to the Text

1. armored cable – броньований кабель

2. sensor data – інформація від датчиків

3. signal compression technique – техніка стиснення сигналу

4. acoustic data links –лінії передачі акустичних даних

Exercise 10. Translate into English the following word-combinations using active vocabulary of the text.

корабель підтримки, броньований корабель, передавати енергію і навігаційні команди, відсилати сенсорні дані та телевізійне зображення, з великою швидкістю, вільно рухатися, бортові мікропроцесори, акустичні сигнали, дно океану, переборювати труднощі, приводити в рух, телефонні кабелі, нафтові платформи.

Exercise 11. Answer the questions on the text.

1. How are most submersibles connected with a support ship? 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a cable connection? 3. What are battery-operated submersibles controlled by? 4. What are the disadvantages of even the most advanced submersibles?

Exercise 12. Speak about the possible ways of improving modern submersibles.

Vocabulary notes

Task IV. Learn the following words and word-combinations

1. unit of account одиниця обліку

2. value цінність

3. circumstance обставина

4. currency гроші, валюта

5. in terms of з точки зору

6. relative to відносно

7. to fix встановити

8. oz (ounce) унція

9. to exchange обмінювати

10. coinage металеві гроші

11. price difference різниця між курсами

12. exchange rate валютний курс

13. predictability прогнозованість

14. to cease припиняти

15. note банкнота

16. to key набирати на клавіатурі

17. bank account банківський рахунок

18. cash готівка

19. free credit вільний кредит

20. to charge interest нараховувати відсоток

21. credit card holder власник кредитної картки

22. credit limit допустима межа кредиту

23. customer клієнт

24. to withdraw знімати з рахунку

25. teller machine банкомат

26. smart card мікропроцесорна картка

27. to display виставляти, показувати

28. transaction угода, операція

29. telephone charge плата за телефон

30. identity card ідентифікаційна картка

Task V. Read and translate the topic.