An animation depicting the implosion of the ill-fated Titan submarine, which resulted in the death of five passengers on board, has gone viral on social media. The animation video, which has been viewed over 5 million times in just 11 days, provides a detailed breakdown of the catastrophic event.
Posted on the YouTube channel AiTelly, known for sharing high-quality engineering animations, the 6-minute and 20-second video delves into the final moments of the Titan submarine. As the narration explains, an implosion is the process of destruction by collapsing inwards on the object itself, in contrast to an explosion, which expands outwards. At the immense depth of 25,000 feet where the Titanic wreckage lies, there is approximately 5,600 pounds per square inch of pressure, almost 400 times the pressure experienced at the surface.
The animation demonstrates how the strong hydrostatic pressure in the surrounding water caused the Titan submarine to collapse rapidly and completely within a fraction of a millisecond. The three-dimensional representation in the video shows the OceanGate-branded submersible being crushed and torn apart.
The submersible’s carbon fiber construction is cited as the main reason for its catastrophic failure. While existing submarine technology is based on materials like steel, titanium, and aluminum, which have prevented other submarines from collapsing, the Titan had an experimental design, relying on carbon fiber. This material has the potential to suddenly crack and break, leading to the submersible’s devastating implosion.
The animation was created by the AiTelly team using Blender, an open-source software, and involved approximately 12 hours of plugging data about OceanGate into the 3D modeling software. The resulting animation provides viewers with an almost real-life experience of the tragic event.
The release of the animation has reignited the controversy surrounding the safety warnings ignored by Stockton Rush, the head of OceanGate and operator of the submersible. Rob McCallum, a consultant for OceanGate, had expressed concerns about the lack of certification from external third parties, warning that it jeopardized the safety of the passengers and the industry as a whole. Rush allegedly dismissed these warnings as baseless cries and a personal insult.
On June 18, the OceanGate submersible, carrying Rush and five passengers, lost communication with its support vessel, the Polar Prince, while descending to the depths of 12,500 feet to reach the Titanic wreckage. Despite an extensive international search effort, the submersible and its passengers were tragically lost. The subsequent investigation revealed debris from the collapsed submersible near the Titanic wreckage site.
As the investigation into this tragic event continues, the animation serves as a powerful reminder of the risks associated with experimental designs and the importance of adhering to safety protocols.
