  To further understand their nature, micro cavitation bubbles were
systematically diffused around the exterior of a test body (tube) fully
submerged in a water tank. The primary purpose was to assess the feasibility of
applying micro cavitation as a means of depth control for underwater vehicles,
mainly but not limited to submarines. Ideally, the results would indicate the
use of micro cavitation as a more efficient alternative to underwater vehicle
depth control than the conventional ballast tank method. The current approach
utilizes the Archimedes' principle of buoyancy to alter the density of the
object affected, making it less than, or greater than the density of the
surrounding fluid. However, this process is too slow for underwater vehicles to
react to sudden obstacles inherent in their environment. Rather than altering
its internal density, this experiment aimed to investigate the response that
would occur if the density of its environment was manipulated instead. In
theory, and in a hydrostatic fluid, diffusing micro air bubbles from the top
surface of the submarine would dilute the column of water above it with air
cavities, thus lowering the density of the water. The resulting pressure
differential would then cause the submarine to gain buoyancy.
