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Senior Crew
Posts: 179
Location: carlsbad, CA | Subject: Electric drive and jet drive
Recently saw a very primitive sketch of a Nuke with a Jet Drive and I assume the motors are electric so maybe they are the same boat. Have we built any? Also are we experimenting with composite hulls and/ceramic hulls. I read everything the Naval Submarine League and Naval Institute Proceedings publish but no dice so far. Any ideas? |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1576
Location: Wollongong, NSW | Subject: RE: Electric drive and jet drive
There have been pump jets and electric drive for years. I believe the Royal navy is further advanced with pump jets. Anything that doesn't have those identifiable frequency lines or blade counts is the winner. |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 179
Location: carlsbad, CA | Subject: RE: Electric drive and jet drive
I am familiar with the small jet drive boats (not submarines) with both inboard and outboard drives. I am asking about the primitive sketch I saw on an SS website which shows a full size SSN boat with a hollow tube built into the engine room and with two large propellers inside of the tunnel. In a Nuke there must be conversion from the heat/steam from the reactor to electricity via steam turbine which would then drive the internally built motors in the tunnel. I am curious whether we have actually built such an animal. The use of composites and ceramics for hull construction would be very difficult as they have problems too. Ceramics are strong but can be easily shattered because they are brittle. Composites are lightweight, strong and difficult to process. Composites would seem to be the next phase in hull construction as we are up to HY100 in the steel we are using. That steel is seriously difficult to fabricate and especially difficult to weld. The Russians built hulls of Titanium and the only way I know of to work it is through sintering. Nowhere on the web have I seen anything which will allow us to build a lightweight, strong and resilient hull. Anyone have something to contribute?  |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 179
Location: carlsbad, CA | Subject: RE: Electric drive and jet drive
I would like to hear more about the jet drive system. Any reference places you can recommend on the internet?
Sharkey |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1576
Location: Wollongong, NSW | Subject: RE: Electric drive and jet drive
Some of the Swiftsure class SSNs (RN) had pump jets and if I recall correctly, USS Barb (I think) it was had a pump jet when we were playing around out of Pearl in 1975. We had some time acting as a detectable target at Barking Sands.
Tullibee had electric drive and Narwhal or some such (an experimental boat) had a different drive system but then the 688s came along and the types of drive faded away.
Churchill or Conqueror (RN) had an experimental drive system as well - I just wish I could have kept all my sonar books from school and time as Sonar Officer of Ovens. |
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| Subject: RE: Electric drive and jet drive
Sharkey,
There is a book published in 1999 and 2000 which is an excellent reference for many of the questions you asked. "Submarine Technology for the 21st Century", 2nd Edition, by Stan Zimmerman. There are nine chapters, of which 5 are very interesting, as follows:
Nuclear Power Pushes Against Diminishing Returns - specifically about the long term of nuclear power and possible improvements.
Hulls, Polymers and Hydrodynamics - section on newer hull technologies, eg titanium and composites.
Silence Makes Perfect - great section on newer pump jets technologies.
Weapons Expand the Envelope - discussion on newer weapons technologies.
Sensors of a Submarine - advanced technologies in new sensor capabilities.
The chapter on pump jet technologies was a very interesting read. As a Sonar man during my time there are real advantages to the use of these new techniques. Also, good discussion on the real issue of computer processing speed to solve the hydrodynamic issues associated with pump jets. Anyway, good read.
John |
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Electric drive and jet drive
