Considering how everyone is puzzled by this island layout, do we have a half plausible reason why they could have chosen it? Apart from my past theory of the CVN having combined nuclear/steam engines which many scoff at, could it be that the back-up generator arrangements are so extensive that they require their own chimney?
00X/004 future nuclear CATOBAR carrier thread
- Thread starter AETHER
- Start date
Engineer
Major
GT isn't viable as it has lower power density compared to steam propulsion.
The simplest explanation is that a gap can provide air current to prevent soot from covering the mast.
hopefully it just doesn't make it onto the actual carrier...
My idea is that very powerful radars/emitters can be placed on the chimney part, rather than the island part, reducing the crew’s exposure to radiation.
My other idea is that this setup can represent a hybrid propulsion of diesel+nuclear, or gas+nuclear, or generators as you say.
Engineer
Major
Radar panels need a lot of volume in the back for coolant plumping, power supply, and signal processing electronics. Uptake stack also need a lot of volume for air circulation to keep cool. Putting radar panels and uptake stack into one structure and we would once again end up with the monstrosity of 003's island.
While ugly, the shape of the mock-up makes perfect engineering sense: the stack doesn't block the volume search radars, plenty of surface area around the stack to install ventilation, enough clearance between main structure and the stack for the exhaust to get blown away.
Engineer
Major
This is a great picture. If you imagine the aft half of the island to get truncated away, you would immediately get an island for a nuclear carrier. There wouldn't be any need for redesign or re-validation. I think what we are looking at here is an island design that is compatible with both conventional and nuclear power.
Likewise, the hull may likely be a totally new design with nuclear power in mind but fitted with conventional propulsion instead. This would not be hybrid power but one-or-the-other. It would after all be far easier to put conventional boilers in place of nuclear reactors than vice-versa. My personal opinion is that China won't be building a nuclear aircraft carrier anytime soon, but if one were to be built, the design would already exist and validated (conventionally).
So with that said, the rumor about a conventional hull and a nuclear hull being built at the same time may actually be referring to the exact same ship!
The windows seem to have gotten smaller height wise, but Flyco got two (potentially 3) massive windows instead. This is a very cool change from CV-18 esp aesthetically. Also entire bridge seem to have gotten one deck taller dunno if its just me.