Lots of rubber mountings. Dad worked for Babcock Wilcox and did a few for the Sturgeon class under contract through Westinghouse. But I am sure the principles are the same just more precise and modern over late 1960's.
The Hunt For Red October is now a reality.
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yea but rubber can only do so much... them centrifugal pumps and steam lines ****ing SCREAM... And I assume the condenser coolant pumps take suction from and discharge to the ocean? I'm unfamiliar with ship-based platforms.
Lots of sound mounts (layering) to prohibit radiated noise from escaping the hull. Something as simple as dropping a wrench or deck plate creates a metallic transient which can be the kiss of death and give away your position. Diesel Electric Boats operating on battery are much quieter than any nuke boat. However, a diesel boat’s sensor range, speed, and endurance are limited in comparison. Nuclear Power - This is the way.
Unlike shore steam plants, every pump, pump motor, piping system, and valve is designed with sound silencing in mind. Constant surveillance of ownship’s radiated noise levels was part of the Sonar Division’s job. As pumps/motors wear over time, they tend to radiate more noise and increase the detectability of your boat by another submarine. When your boat gets louder, your ability to detect an enemy decreases too.
As someone who spent 20 years tracking submarines, on modern boats, especially the Virginia class... Those are impossible to track outside a few thousand yards.
If really true, how long until some US "traitor" sells it to China (who will get it to Russia, somehow)
You and me both. I think SeaWolf was probably as quiet or quieter than the Trident boomers, but the Virginia class have to be deadly quiet. The enemy fleet's boats are nearly on parity with sound silencing of US Submarine force, through espionage, reverse engineering, and just getting smarter over time. For a sub on sub encounter, it is almost an "impromptu gunfight" to see which boat can develop a firing solution and shoot a torpedo over your shoulder and be ready to evade counterfire due to how quiet modern submarines have become and the extremely close detection ranges at which they're detected.
If you want to read something that would be a novel but is actually true read up about the Toshiba and Konigsberg debacle I think in 1986. The USSR wanted CAD machines and computer aided milling machines. Long story short Toshiba and Konigsberg decided hey lets make money and so they sold said equipment to the USSR this had far reaching consequences with their sub production as finally they was almost reproduced our USS Los Angeles type.
And so from the Victor 3, Sierra and Akula they are all about equal to the Los Angeles class in sound. Like I read they made a lemon into a star after this exchange as the Victors was now almost dead quiet and able to move in and operate closer to Norway, Iceland and the UK before anyone even knew the Soviets was there.
And so from the Victor 3, Sierra and Akula they are all about equal to the Los Angeles class in sound. Like I read they made a lemon into a star after this exchange as the Victors was now almost dead quiet and able to move in and operate closer to Norway, Iceland and the UK before anyone even knew the Soviets was there.
The amount of maintenance required for this has to be mind boggling. I immediately want to experience a reactor underway on a boat running flank speed so I can skip through the engine room with no earplugs
Each sub has a person assigned to monitor noise, used to be an electrician.
They have a book with allowed noise levels / per equipment.
When something exceeds spec, it's noted & generates a repair @ next port call. Besides motors & pumps, the reactor drive motors are sound tested, ( not ships company ), results are recorded & used to be sent to Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory.
( CRDM sound signatures ) Control Rod Drive Mechanism
I worked on several sub tenders during my career, work center 92A ( sound analysis, noise & vibration reduction ). This usually an electrician billet, but an unusual set of events got me in to this gig in 1974 on the USS L.Y. Spear ( AS-36 ).
Equally unusual, as I transferred from ship to ship, I kept getting assigned to 92A, as the skill set was few & far between. ( AS-33 )( AS-34 )( AS-31 )(AS-19)..
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They have a book with allowed noise levels / per equipment.
When something exceeds spec, it's noted & generates a repair @ next port call. Besides motors & pumps, the reactor drive motors are sound tested, ( not ships company ), results are recorded & used to be sent to Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory.
( CRDM sound signatures ) Control Rod Drive Mechanism
I worked on several sub tenders during my career, work center 92A ( sound analysis, noise & vibration reduction ). This usually an electrician billet, but an unusual set of events got me in to this gig in 1974 on the USS L.Y. Spear ( AS-36 ).
Equally unusual, as I transferred from ship to ship, I kept getting assigned to 92A, as the skill set was few & far between. ( AS-33 )( AS-34 )( AS-31 )(AS-19)..
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I have only ever tracked a Seawolf at unspeakable speeds. And only twice.
The Ohio are only quiet when slow. if they get up above a certain speed they get pretty noisy. We had a few fun encounters with an Ohio that forced them back to port because we were tracking sounds that indicated issues.
Yep, Hunt For Red October was/is an excellent movie. Well done. Great actors. High quality all around.
Exactly...when i got out of the Navy in 2009 there were "rumors". Infact in 2003 or 4 i cant remember a Kilo SS was fitted with a "jet drive" i saw the pics lol...and briefed my Commadore on the matter....i dont recall anything further or anything coming of it as i left the submarine game in 05 for the chasing terrorists game...but....i know we and the russain navy have been workin on a "pump" system for many years
We had fun chasin Ohios too...and yea if they are trying to make time they arent hard to find...they move a lot of water as you know better than us. 688 was way harder to find.
We did a deal in a place with a diesel/electric once and we knew the box...but still couldnt find those assholes till the surfaced and laughed at us.
Im sure seawolf, virginia and so on are stupid silient...never got to track one of them.
Dusten...ever track an Alpha? They were my fav russian boat...wish i coulda seen one lol. I did get to see a victor, oscar Ii, foxtrot and kilo in the flesh lol
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Skipping will get you stitches..... Flank speed isn't all that exciting - a little vibration throughout the ship, but it doesn't rattle dishes.. Angles and dangles is fun and is an evolution performed usually after you've been in port for awhile. You check stowage and ensure everything is secure by diving and ascending using up to a 30 degree angle. You just hang on and listen for stuff to crash because items aren't secured properly. For torpedo evasion maneuvers, you're hauling ass anyway (ahead flank cavitate), but any additional noise doesn't help your chance for survival.The amount of maintenance required for this has to be mind boggling. I immediately want to experience a reactor underway on a boat running flank speed so I can skip through the engine room with no earplugs
Called it.
Alfa's were fast but loud. Titanium hulled deep diving bitches. Akulas were the bad boys in the 80's/90's.
Some movies reach the highest echelon and this is definitely up there with the best. The soundtrack is worth a listen.
Condensate from the SSTG (ship's service turbine generators) and the Main engines are in a "secondary" coolant loop. Condensate pumps take cool sea water and run that through coolant loops in the condensers. When the steam is cooled and in condensate form, it is pumped back into the the steam generators where it's flashed to super-heated and dry steam, where it makes it's way to either the main engines, or the TGs.
Chemistry in primary coolant (reactor, reactor pumps, CRDMs (control rod drive mechanisms) and secondary systems are very closely monitored. Reactor operates at pretty high temperatures, and primary coolant is maintained under very high pressure to avoid pure water flashing to steam. Cool story is the original reactor coolant pumps from my first (now decommissioned) boat were removed during shipyard period and were repurposed to pump water in some town on the East Coast.
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