Triton Research Facility

Hello, My name is Jadon I am 17 years old and in this Instructable I will be walking through how I created the Triton Under water Research Facility (TRUF) and the science behind the structures I developed. I made the TRUF in 4 Seperate portions. I made the main research and database area, a small hallway room, a submarine to interact with the environment, and a green house for plant experimentation and production. When I first went through the engineering design process I seperated pros and cons aswell as taking note of any "nice to haves" for the base. Instead of just a survival habitat for a extreme area I also kept the idea of creating the base so it can enhance or benefit human well being rather than just being a lockdown bunker with low rations. The TRF can be used for hydroponic research, exploration and analysis of wildlife, and other under water studies.

To make the (TRUF) I used:

Personal Computer

Fusion 360

(Optional for prototyping) 3D printer with Filament

Boba straw for prototype

A snow globe bulb for submarine

I first started with the Hall way room design because it is the most basic of the 3 buildings. This area can be use for what is most necessary at the moment, whether it is lab setup or just storage for different Items. The tubes depicted above allows people to go in between buildings. This building would mostly be built out of Titanium becuase of the massive amount of pressure in the ocean. The Glass/Acrylic panels also allow for any sunlight that might come through the water.

I first started by drawing a two circles inside of each other and extruded it. I then added a fillet to the bottom of the base and cut out a window hole. I then extruded another cylinder on the top to create a roof. I used the fillet feature on top because of the massive amount of water pressure that the building would have to sustain. Also sharp edges are mor prone to failure and can lead to faster corrosion depending on the material.

The next portion of the TRUF that I produced was the Main center where most of the operations would occur. I wanted the Center to feel open and welcoming so it didn't feel like a bunker or a container if you were inside of it, and you would be able to admire the environment around you, and enjoy things many people haven't seen first hand before. I once again started with a simple extruded cylinder and stacked 2 on top of each other. I then added a fillet to the top to make a dome that would be sealed with acrylic or laminated glass to create a seal that would not let water through. Different studies have shown spheres or does being the most efficient shape to distribute stress equally when dealing with water pressure, one I read being Sotiris Koussios' study on the subject. I also added a small work space and Stair to move from the bottom to top floor. I added 2 tubes for when I wanted to connect the main center to the hall way or other buildings like the green house. The steps I took can be seen in the GIF above.

The next part of the TRUF I designed was the under water submarine so scientists could interact with the environment. I first started with the cabin as a sphere, and then built the lightweight structure that would propel the submarine around using the revolve feature. I added a small extrusion to attach the motors and propellers.

My favorite part of the TRUF is the Greenhouse. Studies are currently taking place where scientists are growing plants under water to see if the rate at which they grow increases because of the artificial air that is created can change the speed that plants grow. This is the type of research that would take place in the TRUF. I also really liked the design of the Aurelia Institute Truncated Icosahedron but one of my goals for this project was to make everything from scratch my self and also in my research on stress I found that triangles are also very good at distributing pressure evenly, so (even though the Hexagon is the bestagon) I decided to start the process with triangles in a up ward pattern then used the circular pattern feature to create a dome. From there I added a simple planter that held plants. I also added a solar panel because I found out Solar panels also work efficiently under water. I also added a little connecting tube on the end .

To bring all the pieces together I used the joint feature in order to connect all the tubes so people can get through each part of the TRUF. In order to get all the high quality photos I used throughout the project I used the Render feature in Fusion. Now I will be showing the prototypes I made.

When I was producing the Prototypes I wanted to create a small sized down version similar to what architects created for their first drafts. I used an ender 3 and sliced in Cura. For the glass on the submarine I took the top off a snow globe my sister had :)

Thank you to Autodesk and Instructables for this project, I learned a lot and I am fortunate to have the tools I need to complete this project I hope all you guys like the TRUF.