09III/09IV (093/094) Nuclear Submarine Thread

Air Force Brat

Air Force Brat

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Super Moderator
asif iqbal said:
SSN are not like electric cars they are basically run on steam

Nuclear reactor produces heat the heat boils water and steam turns the turbine which runs the propeller

More steam means more speed and everything has to work harder like the heat exchangers, propellers and coolers etc all make more noise

With SSK the noise is Diesel engine
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Sorry Asif, I just saw your excellent post! good work my boy, I'm sure you make your Daddy proud, and I'm gonna take the word of a "research scientist" every day, and twice on Sunday!

actually you make the Air Force Brat proud too!
 
Air Force Brat

Air Force Brat

Brigadier
Super Moderator
Air Force Brat said:
Sorry Asif, I just saw your excellent post! good work my boy, I'm sure you make your Daddy proud, and I'm gonna take the word of a "research scientist" every day, and twice on Sunday!

actually you make the Air Force Brat proud too!
Click to expand...

you "young-uns" on here make make Master Jeff and Bro BD proud as well, I know they are pleased with your thoughted, and thought provoking arguments reflecting the truth, and very sound integrity which those of us who love this forum have worked so hard to model and encourage, good job sir, and I know that son of yours has a great Daddy, that will make him proud!
 
Quickie

Quickie

Colonel
plawolf said:
Actually, I have considered that, but dismissed it as a valid possibility. :)

Increasing noise with speed is actually mostly an engine and hydrodynamics issue, that is largely moot for SSNs.

We commonly associate higher speeds with higher noise from our daily experience with car engines. But nuclear subs are far more like electric cars rather than traditional fossil fuel cars.

With electric cars, noise level does not increase much, if at all, with speed increases up to a point. The lion share of increases noise from higher speeds in traditional cars comes from the engine. For an SSN, engine output is pretty much a constant no matter how fast they are going because of the nature of their nuclear reactors.

Comparatively speaking, it's child's play to design a hydrodynamic shape that produces minimal noise increases when operating at your typical max range speed figures for SSNs of 20-30kts.
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schenkus said:
I always thought that increasing the speed has a big influence on the noise level of a submarine.

A quick search lead me to a very interesting looking article from the mid 90s:
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If we believe this article flow noise becomes very important at higher speeds.
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asif iqbal said:
SSN are not like electric cars they are basically run on steam

Nuclear reactor produces heat the heat boils water and steam turns the turbine which runs the propeller

More steam means more speed and everything has to work harder like the heat exchangers, propellers and coolers etc all make more noise

With SSK the noise is Diesel engine
Click to expand...
All the above are valid points. Let me expand on the one point Plawolf was trying to make which I think is valid.

Increasing the propulsion power of a submarine engine isn't so much limited by the installation space within a small vehicle, meaning that, increasing the power of a vehicle would encompass increasing the speed and power of the power cycle and not so much on the size of the engine.

On a nuclear submarine, increasing propulsion power could be accomplished by a bigger steam turbine and steam volume while maintaining its rotational speed and steam pressure the same. While a bigger turbine and other engine components would itself be a bigger source of noise, it wouldn't be at the same level as that produced by increasing the speed of the engine of a sportscar, for example, by inputting more fuel to generate a more powerful combustion.
 
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A

antiterror13

Brigadier
these 095A ... if it is true ... would be one of the most modern SSNs in the world .....

not sure how good this baby compared with Virginia? perhaps still below it, how about Astute and Barracuda?

I'd say this baby would be commissioned in 2020, remember Virginia first commissioned in 2004 ... so 16 years after Virginia!
 
Blitzo

Blitzo

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Hyperwarp

Hyperwarp

Captain
antiterror13 said:
these 095A ... if it is true ... would be one of the most modern SSNs in the world ....
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These are nothing more that someones fan-art. Nobody here knows what the 095 looks like. Heck, we only have some grainy photos of the 093B (or 093G). Regarding the 095 being one of the best? Well only time will tell.

antiterror13 said:
...
not sure how good this baby compared with Virginia? perhaps still below it, how about Astute and Barracuda?
...
Click to expand...

The Astute is probably the best SSN with the exception of the Seawolf. During mock/simulated battles the Astute had got the better of Virginia class subs.

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In 2012, during simulated battles with the United States Navy's latest Virginia-class submarine (the USS New Mexico), it was reported that the Americans were "taken aback" by Astute's capabilities. Royal Navy Commander Iain Breckenridge was quoted saying: “Our sonar is fantastic and I have never before experienced holding a submarine at the range we were holding USS New Mexico. The Americans were utterly taken aback, blown away with what they were seeing.
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Barracuda should be no push-over either. Today there are some of the most impressive SSN in-service or under testing. Even the Russians have for the 1st time come close to the quieting of the Seawolf. Not belived to surpassed the Seawolf but certain the gap has closed immensely with the introduction of Yasen.

So the 095 has serious competition - Seawolf, Astute, Virginia, Barracuda, Yasen!
 
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