American submarines: list. Nuclear submarine projects. Innovative technology for the construction of floating nuclear power plants.

More than 15 years have passed since the last of the boats of Project 705 was excluded from the Russian Navy, and in the circles of naval sailors and shipbuilders to this day, disputes do not subside. What exactly was Project 705 - a breakthrough into the future ahead of its time, or an expensive technical gamble?

The outer contours of the boat were worked out at TsAGI, tested on numerous models in the basins of the Leningrad Central Research Institute named after V.I. Krylov. And, in addition to technical excellence and numerous innovations important for battleship The nuclear submarine has also turned out to be unusually beautiful.

By 1990, all (except one) nuclear submarines of the 705th project were withdrawn from the fleet, having served significantly less than the period for which they were designed. The last one, K-123, finished its service in 1997.

Racing boat
Photo: Nuclear submarine 705, due to its contours and power-to-weight ratio, were dynamic and unusually maneuverable. The boat was able to accelerate to full speed in a minute, and made a full turn at full speed in 42 seconds. She could spend hours "hanging on the tail" of a conventional enemy nuclear submarine (there was a real case when a submarine pursued a NATO nuclear submarine in the North Atlantic for 20 hours). Moreover, the boat could even get away from a torpedo launched in its direction!

In 1959, when the first Soviet nuclear submarine (nuclear submarine) Leninsky Komsomol, built according to the design of the Leningrad SKB-143 (now SPMBM "Malakhit"), was already put to sea, and in Severodvinsk, the construction of a whole series of similar ships began, SKB AB? Petrov made a proposal to create a "Small high-speed fighter submarine". The idea was very relevant: such boats were needed to hunt submarines - carriers of ballistic missiles with nuclear charges, which then began to actively build on the stocks of a potential enemy. On June 23, 1960, the Central Committee and the Council of Ministers approved the project, which was assigned the number 705 ("Lear"). In NATO countries, this boat became known as the "Alpha" (Alfa). Academicians A.P. Aleksandrov, V.A. He was a talented man with a very difficult fate: he spent seven years in the Gulag, and after his release, he was banned from entering Leningrad. An experienced shipbuilding engineer worked in an artel for the manufacture of buttons in Malaya Vishera and only in 1956 was able to return to Leningrad, in SKB-143. He started with the deputy chief designer of the nuclear submarine of project 645 (this experience was very useful for Rusanov).

Battle with the titan

The purpose of the new submarine determined the basic requirements - high speed and maneuverability, perfect hydroacoustics, powerful weapons. To meet the first two requirements, the boat had to have extremely small dimensions and weight, the highest hydrodynamic characteristics of the hull and a powerful power plant that would fit into the limited dimensions. It was impossible to accomplish this without non-standard solutions. Titanium was chosen as the main material for the hull of the ship, as well as many of its mechanisms, pipelines and fittings - the metal is almost twice as light and at the same time stronger than steel, moreover, it is absolutely corrosion-resistant and low-magnetic. However, it is quite capricious: it is welded only in an inert gas medium - argon, it is difficult to cut it, it has a high coefficient of friction. In addition, titanium could not be used in direct contact with parts made of other metals (steel, aluminum, brass, bronze): in seawater, it forms an electrochemical pair with them, which causes destructive corrosion of parts made of other metals. They had to develop special grades of high-alloy steel and bronze, and specialists from the Central Research Institute of Metallurgy and Welding ("Prometey") and the Central Research Institute of Shipbuilding Technology managed to overcome these titanium tricks. As a result, a small-sized ship hull with an underwater displacement of 3,000 tons was created (although the customer - the Navy - insisted on a limitation of 2,000 tons).

I must say that the Soviet shipbuilding already had experience in creating submarines from titanium. In 1965, in Severodvinsk, a project 661 nuclear submarine with a titanium hull was built (in a single copy). This boat, known as " gold fish"(A hint at its fantastic cost), to this day it remains the record holder for speed under water - on sea trials, it showed 44.7 knots (about 83 km / h).

Continuous innovations

Another radical innovation was the size of the crew. On other nuclear submarines (both Soviet and American), 80-100 people are serving, and in the terms of reference for the 705th project, the number 16 was named, and only officers. However, in the course of the design, the number of the future crew grew and eventually reached 30 people, including five warrant technicians and one sailor, who was entrusted with an important role as cook, and part-time as a day cleaner (it was originally assumed that the ship's doctor would perform the cook's duties). To combine such a small number of crew with a huge number of mechanisms, the boat had to be very seriously automated. Later, the sailors even nicknamed the boats of the 705th project "submachine guns".

For the first time in the country (and probably in the world), global automation encompassed everything: ship movement control, the use of weapons, the main power plant, all general ship systems (immersion, ascent, trimming, retractable devices, ventilation, etc.). One of the key and very controversial issues in the development of automation systems (a number of research institutes and design bureaus were engaged in this, including the Central Research Institute "Aurora", "Granit", "Agat") was the choice of the current frequency for the ship's power grid. Options of 50 and 400 Hz were considered, each had its own advantages and disadvantages. The final decision in favor of 400 Hz was made at a three-day meeting of the heads of several organizations involved in the topic, with the participation of three academics. The transition to a higher frequency caused a lot production problems, but it made it possible to significantly reduce the dimensions of electrical equipment and devices.

Armament

On the nuclear submarine of Project 705, pneumohydraulic torpedo tubes were installed for the first time, providing firing in the entire range of immersion depths. Six torpedo tubes and 18 torpedoes, taking into account the speed and maneuverability of the boat, made it a serious enemy for the submarines of NATO countries.

Atomic heart

And yet the main innovation that determined the fate of the entire project was the choice of the ship's main power plant. It became a compact nuclear fast neutron reactor (BN) with a liquid metal coolant (LMC). This made it possible to save about 300 tonnes of displacement due to the higher steam temperature and, therefore, better turbine efficiency.

The first submarine in the world with a reactor of this type was the American nuclear submarine Seawolf (1957). The design was not very successful; during sea trials, the primary circuit was depressurized with sodium release. Therefore, in 1958, the reactors were replaced by pressurized water reactors, and the military in the United States no longer began to communicate with reactors based on liquid metal fuel. In the USSR, they preferred to use a lead-bismuth melt as a heat carrier, which is much less chemically aggressive than sodium. But the nuclear submarine K-27, built in 1963, was also not lucky: in May 1968, during the cruise, the primary circuit of one of the two reactors ruptured. The crew received huge doses of radiation, nine people died, and the boat was christened "Nagasaki" (the nickname "Hiroshima" was already occupied by K-19 in 1961). The nuclear submarine was so radioactive that it could not be repaired, and as a result, in September 1982, it was sunk off the northeastern shores of Novaya Zemlya. To her "titles" naval wits added "forever underwater". But even after the K-27 tragedy in the USSR, they decided not to abandon the tempting idea of using liquid metal cooled reactors on nuclear submarines, engineers and scientists continued to work on their improvement under the leadership of Academician Leipunsky.

Two organizations took over the development of the main power plant for the 705th project. Podolsk OKB "Gidropress" has created a modular two-section installation BM-40 / A with two circulation pumps. The Gorky OKBM issued an OK-550 unit, also a modular unit, but with a branched primary circuit and three circulation pumps. Later, both installations found application on the nuclear submarine of the 705th project: OK-550 was installed on boats under construction in Leningrad (four ships), and BM-40 / A was installed on three boats built in Severodvinsk according to the project 705K version. Both installations provided power on the turbine shaft up to 40,000 hp, which made it possible to develop the speed of 40 knots stipulated by the technical specifications.

Full automatic
In order to control the submarine by the forces of a crew of 30 people, which was very limited at that time, numerous automation systems were developed to keep all the ship's mechanisms under control. Later sailors even gave these boats the nickname "automatic".

Longest boat

In total, seven nuclear submarines of project 705 were built, they became the first serial boats in the world equipped with reactors with liquid metal fuel. The first boat, K-64, laid down in June 1968 in the same old boathouse, where 70 years earlier was built famous cruiser"Aurora", in December 1971, was transferred to the Navy. The main problems of trial operation were associated with the reactor, which was fundamentally different from the well-known pressurized ones. The fact is that the lead-bismuth alloy crystallizes at + 145 ° C, and during operation of a reactor with such LMC, in no case should the temperature in the primary circuit be allowed to drop to this value. It was as a result of non-observance of this condition in the pipelines of one and then the second loop of the first loop that plugs began to appear from the frozen melt, which was no longer possible to return to a liquid state. There was a "lock" of the steam generating plant, accompanied by depressurization of the primary circuit and radioactive contamination of the boat, which at that time was at the berth at its base. It soon became clear that the reactor was irretrievably ruined, and the boat could no longer go to sea. As a result, in August 1974, she was withdrawn from the fleet and, after a long debate, was cut into two parts, each of which was decided to be used for training crews and testing new technologies. The bow of the boat was towed to Leningrad, and the stern with the reactor compartment remained in Severodvinsk at the Zvezdochka shipyard. The black cross of the cut off aft stabilizer K-64 with horizontal and vertical rudders remained there as a mournful monument. For a long time, among the naval sailors and shipbuilders, there was a joke-riddle about "the world's longest boat".

Real life

The construction of the series, which was already actively underway in Leningrad and Severodvinsk, was suspended, but resumed after a couple of years, and from 1977 to 1981, six nuclear submarines of the 705 project were transferred to the fleet. These ships quite intensively and successfully served in the Northern Fleet, causing serious concern to the NATO countries. Taking into account the sad experience of the K-64, an "electric boiler" was additionally installed on all serial nuclear submarines of this project, the task of which was to maintain the required temperature in the first loop of the reactor, when it was brought to minimum power when the nuclear submarine was parked at the base. To operate the boiler, it was required to supply electricity from the shore. With this there were interruptions, and since the crews of the boats were desperately afraid to destroy the reactor, it was not maintained at the minimum power level, which accelerated the production of nuclear fuel. In addition, the displeasure of the naval base authorities was caused by the need to organize special laboratories for periodic checks, adjustments and repairs of automation, which were stuffed with boats of this type. So a lot of concerns were added to the coastal services of the Navy. Increasingly, there was talk that the new ships, despite their unique fighting qualities, were ahead of their time and were unnecessarily difficult to maintain. They did not finish building the seventh serial boat, but cut it right on the slipway. By 1990, all (except one) nuclear submarines of the 705th project were withdrawn from the fleet, having served significantly less than the period for which they were designed.

The last "Alpha"

The K-123, which became an exception, remained in service until 1997 due to the protracted repairs after a serious accident in 1982. When the submarine was submerged in the Barents Sea, the “Reactor malfunction” signal suddenly flashed on the control panel in the submarine's central post. Lieutenant Loginov went for reconnaissance in the uninhabited reactor compartment, who a minute later reported that he was observing silvery metal spreading over the deck: it was a highly active liquid metal core fuel that had escaped from the primary circuit of the reactor. At the same time, the signal “Reactor compartment contamination. Leave the compartment! "And, as one of the crew members who survived the accident recalled later," they thought about Loginov in the past tense. " But Loginov survived. Going out into the airlock, through which the reactor compartment communicates with the rest of the boat, he left all his clothes there and underwent a thorough washing. The reactor was shut down, the nuclear submarine surfaced, blowing through its ballast tanks. As it was established later, about 2 managed to flow out of the first circuit? t LMC. The boat was so dirty that the cruiser who came to the rescue did not dare to approach it in order to transfer the towing cable. As a result, the cable was nevertheless brought up with the help of a deck helicopter from the same cruiser. Repair of K-123, during which the reactor compartment was completely replaced, ended in 1992, the nuclear submarine returned to service and served safely until 1997. With its cancellation, Project 705 ended ingloriously.

Reserve parachute

Of the six compartments of the nuclear submarine, there were only two inhabited, above one of which was located a pop-up rescue chamber created for the first time in the world, designed to rescue the entire crew (30 people) even from the maximum immersion depth (400 m).

Ahead of time

Nuclear submarines of Project 705 could boast of fantastic speed and maneuverability characteristics and many innovations: a titanium hull, a fast neutron reactor with a liquid metal coolant and completely automated control all systems of the ship.

Underwater metal
The hull of the boat was made of titanium, so specialists from the Central Research Institute of Metals and Welding (Prometey) and the Central Research Institute of Shipbuilding Technology had to develop special technologies for welding and joining titanium parts, and metallurgists - new corrosion-resistant alloys.

Liquid metal

Nuclear ships are essentially steamboats, as their propellers are powered by steam turbines. But steam is generated not in conventional boilers with furnaces, but in nuclear reactors. The heat of radioactive decay is transferred from nuclear fuel in the first cooling loop to a coolant, usually pressurized water (to raise the temperature to 200 ° C or more), which also serves as a neutron moderator. And the coolant already transfers heat to the water of the secondary circuit, evaporating it. But pressurized water has its drawbacks. High pressure means that the walls of the pipes of the cooling system of the primary circuit of the reactor must be thick and strong, and when the primary circuit is depressurized, radioactive vapor penetrates into the most inaccessible places. One of the alternatives is the use of fast reactors with a coolant made of low-melting metals in their liquid phase - for example, sodium or a lead-bismuth alloy. Their thermal conductivity and heat capacity are significantly higher than that of water; they can be heated to higher temperatures without high pressure in the primary circuit, which allows very compact reactors to be created.

Heavy missile submarines can be safely attributed to one of the world's largest nuclear submarines. strategic purpose project 941 "Shark". NATO classification - SSBN "Typhoon". In 1972, after receiving the assignment, TsKMBMT "Rubin" began to develop this project.

History of creation

In December 1972, tactical technical task for design, S.N. Kovalev was appointed chief designer of the project. The development and creation of a new type of submarine cruisers was positioned as a response to the construction of Ohio-class SSBNs in the United States. In service, it was planned to use solid-propellant three-stage intercontinental ballistic missiles R-39 (RSM-52), the dimensions of these missiles determined the size of the new ship. Compared with the Trident-I missiles, which are equipped with Ohio-class SSBNs, the R-39 missile has a significant the best characteristics in flight range, throw weight and has 10 blocks, while the "Trident" has 8 such blocks. But at the same time, the P-39 is much larger in size, it is almost twice as long, and has a mass three times more than its American counterpart. The SSBN layout according to the standard scheme was not suitable for placing missiles of such a large size. The decision to start work on the construction and design of a new generation of strategic missile carriers was made on December 19, 1973.

In June 1976, the first boat of this type TK-208 was laid down at the Sevmash enterprise, which was launched on September 23, 1980 (the abbreviation TK means “ heavy cruiser"). The image of the shark was applied in the bow, below the waterline, before the boat was launched into the water; later, stripes with a shark appeared on the crew's uniform. On July 4, 1981, the lead cruiser entered sea trials, a month earlier than the American Ohio SSBN, the project of which had been launched earlier. On December 12, 1981, the TK-208 entered service. In the period from 1981 to 1989, 6 boats of the "Akula" type were commissioned and launched. The seventh ship of this series was never laid down.

More than 1000 enterprises of the former Soviet Union provided the construction of submarines of this type. 1219 employees of "Sevmash" who participated in the creation of the ship were awarded government awards.

The statement on the creation of the Akula series boats was made at the XXVI Congress of the CPSU from Brezhnev, who said: We have a Typhoon system, similar to the new American submarine Ohio armed with Trident-I missiles. "Typhoon" the new boat "Shark" was deliberately named, at that time the Cold War was not yet over, to mislead the enemy and sounded the name "Typhoon".

In 1986, a diesel-electric transport-rocket carrier was built, the displacement of which was 16,000 tons, the number of missiles taken on board was 16 SLBMs. The transport was named "Alexander Brykin" and was designed to provide reloading missiles and torpedoes.

A long high-latitude cruise to the Arctic was carried out in 1987 by the TK-17 Simbirsk boat. During this cruise, the crews were repeatedly replaced.

On TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" during a training launch in the mine, a training rocket exploded and burned, the launches were carried out in the White Sea on September 27, 1991. The explosion tore off the cover of the missile silo and threw the missile warhead into the sea. After this incident, the boat got up for minor repairs, the crew was not injured in the explosion.

"Simultaneous" launch of 20 R-39 missiles was tested on Northern Fleet in 1998.

Design features

The power plant on boats of this type is made in the form of two independent echelons, which are located in strong hulls, these hulls are different. To control the state of the reactors, impulse equipment is used; in case of loss of power supply, the reactors are equipped with an automatic extinguishing system.

Even at the design stage, an item was included in the terms of reference on the need to ensure a safe radius, in this regard, the development and a number of experiments, in experimental compartments, methods for calculating the dynamic strength of the most complex hull units (fastening of modules, pop-up chambers and containers, interbody connections) ...

Since the standard workshops were not suitable for the construction of Akula-type boats, a new workshop No. 55 at Sevmash had to be erected, which is currently one of the largest covered slipways in the world.

Submarines of the "Akula" type have a fairly large buoyancy margin of 40%. For the fact that half of the displacement on boats of this type falls on ballast water, they received an unofficial name in the fleet - "water carrier", another unofficial name "victory of technology over common sense"Was assigned to the boat in the rival design bureau" Malakhit ". A significant reason that influenced the adoption of such a decision was the requirement to ensure the smallest draft of the ship. This requirement was quite justified by obtaining the possibility of using already existing repair bases and piers.

It is a large buoyancy reserve, together with a fairly strong wheelhouse, that makes it possible to break through ice, the thickness of which is up to 2.5 meters, which allows combat duty in northern latitudes almost to the North Pole.

Frame

One of the design features of the boat is the presence of five strong manned hulls inside a lightweight hull. Two of which, the main ones, their largest diameter is 10 meters, are located according to the catamaran principle - parallel to each other. Missile silos with D-19 missile systems are located in the forward part of the ship, between the main strong hulls.

In addition, the boat is equipped with three pressurized compartments: a torpedo compartment, a control module compartment with a central post and a stern mechanical compartment. This arrangement of three compartments between the main hulls of the boat significantly increases the fire safety and survivability of the boat. According to the opinion of the general designer S.N. Kovaleva:

“What happened on the Kursk (project 949A), on the submarines of project 941, could not lead to such catastrophic consequences. The torpedo compartment on the "Shark" is made in the form of a separate module. In the event of a torpedo explosion, the destruction of several main compartments and the death of the entire crew could not occur. "

The main hulls are connected by three passages: in the bow, in the center and in the stern. The passages go through the intermediate compartments of the capsule. The number of watertight compartments on the boat is 19. Rescue chambers located at the base of the wheelhouse under the fence of retractable devices are able to accommodate the entire crew. Number of rescue chambers -2.

The production of durable cases was carried out from titanium alloys, the light case is steel and has a non-resonant anti-radar and soundproof coating, the weight of which is 800 tons. American experts believe that the boat hulls are also equipped with a sound-insulating coating.

The ship has a developed cruciform aft tail with horizontal rudders, which is located directly behind the propellers. The front horizontal rudders are retractable.

For the implementation of the possibility of carrying out duty in the northern latitudes, the felling fence is made very strong, having the ability to break through ice, the thickness of which is from 2 to 2.5 meters (in winter, the thickness of ice in the Arctic Ocean can be from 1.2 to 2 meters, sometimes reaches 2.5 meters). Below, the surface of the ice is formed by outgrowths in the form of icicles or stalactites of rather large sizes. During the ascent, the bow rudders are removed on the boat, and the boat itself is pressed against the ice layer with a specially adapted bow and wheelhouse, then a sharp blowing of the main ballast tanks is carried out.

Power point

The design of the main nuclear power plant was carried out according to the block principle. The main unit includes two water-moderated thermal neutron reactors OK-650, the thermal power of which on the shaft is 2x50,000 hp. as well as in both strong hulls there are two steam turbine units, this significantly increases the survivability of the boat.

On the boats of the Akula project, a two-stage system of rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorption and a block system of mechanisms and equipment are used, which significantly improves the vibration isolation of components and assemblies, and thus reduces the noise of the boat.

Two low-speed, low-noise, seven-bladed fixed-pitch propellers are used as propellers. To reduce the noise level, the screws are located in the annular fairings (fenestrons).

The back-up vehicle system includes two 190 kW DC motors. When maneuvering in cramped conditions on a boat, a thruster is used, which consists of two folding columns with 750 kW electric motors and rotary propellers. These devices are located in the bow and stern of the ship.

Crew accommodation

Crew accommodation is carried out in conditions of increased comfort. The submarines of the Akula project provide a lounge for the crew's rest, a swimming pool measuring 4x2 meters, the depth of which is 2 meters, the pool is filled with fresh or salted sea water with the possibility of heating, a gym, a solarium, a sauna, as well as a “living corner”. Accommodation of the rank and file takes place in small crew quarters, the command staff is placed in two or four-bed cabins equipped with washbasins, TVs and air conditioners. There are two saloons: one for officers, and the second for sailors and warrant officers. For the comfort conditions created on the boat, among the sailors, she received the name "floating" Hilton "".

Armament

The main armament of the TC is 20 three-stage solid-propellant ballistic missiles R-39 "Option". The launch mass of these missiles together with the launch container is 90 tons, and the length is 17.1 m, this is the largest launch mass of all SLBMs put into service.

The missiles have a multiple warhead for 10 individually guided warheads, each with 100 kilotons of TNT equivalent, the missile flight range is 8,300 km. Due to the fact that the R-39s are rather large, their only carrier is the Project 941 Akula boats.

The tests of the D-19 missile system were carried out on a specially converted diesel submarine K-153 (project 619), only one mine for the P-39 was placed on it, the number of launches of throw models is limited to seven.

launch of the R-39 rocket from the Project 941 Akula submarine

From the boats of the Akula project, the entire ammunition load can be launched in one salvo, the interval between missile launches is minimal. Missiles can be launched from the surface and submerged position, in the case of launching from a submerged position, the immersion depth is up to 55 meters, there are no restrictions on weather conditions for launching missiles.

The use of the ARSS depreciation rocket-launch system makes it possible to launch a rocket using a powder pressure accumulator from a dry mine, this significantly reduces the level of pre-launch noise, as well as shortens the interval between missile launches. One of the features of the complex is the suspension of missiles at the throat of the silo using the ARSS. At the design stage, it was envisaged to place an ammunition load of 24 missiles, however, by the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, Admiral S.G. Gorshkov, the number of missiles was reduced to 20.

The development of a new improved version of the R-39UTT Bark missile was started after the adoption of a government decree in 1986. On the new modification of the rocket, it was planned to implement a system of passage through the ice, as well as to increase the range to 10,000 km. According to the plan, it was necessary to re-equip the missile carriers until 2003 by the time the R-39 missiles expired. However, the tests of the new missiles were not successful, after the third launch ended in failure, in 1998 the Ministry of Defense decided to stop work on the complex, by the time this decision was made, the readiness of the complex was 73%. The development of another solid-propellant SLBM "Bulava" was entrusted to the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering, which developed the land-based ICBM "Topol-M".

In addition to strategic weapons, Project 941 "Akula" boats are equipped with 6 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, which can be used for laying minefields for firing rocket-torpedoes and conventional torpedoes.

The air defense system is provided with eight Igla-1 MANPADS complexes.

The boats of the Akula project are equipped with the following types of electronic weapons:

"Omnibus" - combat information and control system;

analog sonar complex "Skat-KS" (the digital "Skat-3" is installed on the TK-208);

hydroacoustic mine detecting station MG-519 "Arfa";

echometer MG-518 "Sever";

radar complex MRKP-58 "Buran";

navigation complex "Symphony";

a radio communication complex "Molniya-L1" with a satellite communication system "Tsunami";

TV complex MTK-100;

two buoy-type antennas allow receiving radio messages, target designation and satellite navigation signals while being at a depth of 150 m and under ice.

Interesting Facts

For the first time, the placement of missile silos in front of the wheelhouse was carried out on boats of the Akula project

For mastering a unique ship, the title of Hero Soviet Union was assigned to the Commander of the first missile cruiser Captain 1st Rank A.V. Olkhovnikov in 1984

The ships of the project "Shark" are included in the Guinness Book of Records

The commander's chair in the central post is inviolable, there is no exception for anyone, not for the commanders of a division, fleet or flotilla, and even the Minister of Defense.

Nuclear submarines and other nuclear powered ships use radioactive fuel - mainly uranium - to convert water to steam. The resulting steam rotates turbine generators, and they produce electricity for the movement of the vessel and power supply of various onboard equipment.

Radioactive materials like uranium release thermal energy during nuclear decay, when an unstable atomic nucleus splits in two. At the same time, a huge amount of energy is released. On a nuclear submarine, such a process is carried out in a thick-walled reactor, which is continuously cooled by running water to avoid overheating or even melting of the walls. Nuclear fuel is especially popular with the military on submarines and aircraft carriers due to its extraordinary efficiency. On one piece of uranium the size of a golf ball, a submarine can circumnavigate the globe seven times. However, nuclear energy is fraught with danger not only for the crew, who could be injured if a radioactive release occurs on board. This energy contains a potential threat to all life at sea, which could be poisoned by radioactive waste.

Schematic diagram of the engine compartment with a nuclear reactor

In a typical nuclear reactor engine (left), pressurized chilled water enters the inside of a reactor vessel containing nuclear fuel. The heated water leaves the reactor and is used to convert other water into steam, and then, cooling down, returns to the reactor. The steam rotates the blades of a turbine engine. The gearbox converts the fast rotation of the turbine shaft into the slower rotation of the electric motor shaft. The shaft of the electric motor is connected to the propeller shaft by means of a clutch mechanism. In addition to the fact that the electric motor transmits rotation to the propeller shaft, it generates electricity, which is stored in the on-board batteries.

Nuclear reaction

In the cavity of the reactor, the atomic nucleus, consisting of protons and neutrons, is subjected to the impact of a free neutron (figure below). From the impact, the nucleus splits, and in this case, in particular, neutrons are freed, which bombard other atoms. This is how a chain reaction of nuclear fission arises. This releases a huge amount of thermal energy, that is, heat.

The nuclear submarine runs along the coast on the surface. Such ships only need to replenish fuel once every two to three years.

The control group in the conning tower observes the adjacent water area through a periscope. Radar, sonar, radios, and scanning cameras also aid the navigation of this boat.

Modern nuclear submarines have steam generating installations as part of one or two nuclear reactors with pressurized water in the primary circuit. Secondary steam, which is directly fed to the main turbine and turbine generators, is generated in several steam generators due to heat exchange with primary water. The parameters of the primary coolant at the inlet to the steam generator usually lie within the range: 320-330 ° С, 150-180 kg / cm²; parameters of the second loop steam at the turbine inlet: 280-290 ° C, 30-32 kg / cm2. The steam capacity of reactors of modern nuclear submarines at full power reaches 200 and more tons of steam per hour. The loading of nuclear fuel, which is usually enriched uranium-235, is several kilograms. It is known, for example, that the Nautilus submarine consumed 3.6 kg of uranium before the first recharge, having covered about 60 thousand miles.

The water flow in the primary circuit is carried out when the unit is operating at low power due to the natural circulation of the coolant, due to the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the reactor, and the placement of steam generators above the core, at medium and high capacities - by circulation pumps of the primary circuit. In the interests of reducing noise and simplifying reactor control, there is a tendency to increase the upper limit of the power when operating in the natural circulation mode. The American nuclear submarine "Narwhal" had a reactor with a significantly higher level of natural circulation than other nuclear submarines - possibly up to 100% power. However, for a number of reasons, primarily due to the increased height in comparison with conventional reactors, this reactor was not put into series. The campaign (the estimated duration of the reactor operation at full power) reaches 10-15 thousand hours for modern nuclear submarines, which allows (due to the operation of the reactor most of the time at a power much less than full power) to limit the service life of the nuclear submarine to one or two recharges of the core. The capacity of steam turbine units during the movement of the nuclear submarine at full speed reaches 30-60 thousand liters. with. (20-45 thousand kW).

Structurally, steam turbine plants are made in the form of a single block, consisting, as a rule, of two turbines operating in parallel on a one- or two-stage gearbox, which reduces the turbine speed to the optimum for the propeller. To reduce vibrations transmitted to the housing, the steam turbine unit is attached to it with shock absorbers. For the same purpose, the so-called non-supporting connections of the block with the body and other equipment (shaft line, steam, water, oil pipelines) have relatively elastic inserts, which also prevent the propagation of vibration from the block.

Steam from the turbine is discharged to a condenser cooled by seawater flowing through tubes designed for full outboard pressure. The seawater is pumped by self-flow or by a circulation pump. The condensate formed after cooling the steam is pumped into the steam generator by special pumps. Steam generating and steam turbine installations are monitored and controlled by a special automatic system (if necessary with operator intervention). Management is carried out from a special post. The transmission of power from the gearbox to the propeller is carried out by means of a shaft line equipped with a thrust bearing and main thrust bearing (GUP), which transfers the thrust developed by the propeller to the housing. Usually the PMU is structurally combined with one of the transverse bulkheads and on some ALs is equipped with a special system to reduce the level of vibrations transmitted from the shaft line to the body. A special coupling is provided to disconnect the propeller shaft from the turbine unit gearbox. On most nuclear submarines, a propeller electric motor (PRM) is installed in the stern of the SUE coaxially with the shaft line, which rotates the shaft when the turbines are turned off and, if necessary, stopped. The power of the GED is usually several hundred kilowatts and is sufficient for the movement of the nuclear submarine at a speed of 4-6 knots. The energy for the operation of the hydroelectric engine is supplied from the turbine generators or, in case of an accident, from the storage battery, and when moving on the surface, from the diesel generator.

Specific weight and size characteristics of power plants differ significantly for individual types of nuclear submarines. Their average values (total steam generating and steam turbine plant) for modern nuclear submarines: 0.03-0.04 t / kW, 0.005-0.006 m³ / kW.

The considered power plant as a part of a turbo-gear unit and a low-power hydroelectric engine installed on the shaft is used on the overwhelming majority of nuclear submarines, but it is not the only one that has found practical use... Since the mid-60s, attempts have been made to use other installations on nuclear submarines, primarily a turboelectric one, providing full electric propulsion, which has already been pointed out in the section devoted to the consideration of the stages of submarine development.

The widespread introduction of full electric propulsion on nuclear submarines is hindered, as is usually indicated, by the significantly large masses and dimensions of electrical installations in comparison with turbines of similar power. Work on improving turboelectric installations continues, and their success is associated with the use of the effect of superconductivity, especially at the so-called "room" temperatures (down to -130 ° C), which is expected to dramatically reduce the weight and size characteristics of electric motors and generators.

The electric power system (EES) of modern nuclear submarines includes several (as a rule, two) autonomous turbine generators (ATG) of alternating current, using steam from the reactor, and a storage battery (AB) as a backup energy source when ATGs are not operating, as well as machine or static converters of electric current (for charging AB from ATG and power supply of equipment on alternating current from AB), control, regulation and protection devices, as well as a switching system - switchboards and cable routes. A diesel generator is used as an emergency source of energy when moving on the surface.

The capacity of the ATG on modern nuclear submarines reaches several thousand kilowatts. Electricity consumers are, first of all, auxiliary mechanisms of the NPP itself, hydroacoustic weapons, navigation, communications, radar systems, systems serving weapons, life support systems, HED when using the electric propulsion mode, etc. alternating current industrial frequency 50-60 Hz, voltage 220-380 V, and for powering some consumers - alternating current of increased frequency and constant.

The high energy saturation of modern nuclear submarines, which provides the possibility of using energy-intensive weapons and weapons, as well as a high level of personnel comfort, has, as already indicated, negative consequences - a relatively high noise level due to a large number of simultaneously operating machines and mechanisms, even when the nuclear submarine moves with relatively low speed.

According to information provided by RIA Novosti with a corresponding link to the data provided by Afrikantov OKBM JSC, an active zone was created and successfully tested in Russia, which is part of a nuclear reactor and is its key element... Based on the message received, the main creator, the zone has the potential to ensure the entire period of operation of a nuclear submarine (nuclear submarine).

To the question posed about whether the eternal was in fact created nuclear reactor for nuclear submarines, we answer that, yes indeed, if we count the eternity of the years of operation of the submarine.

So, what is the general outline of the active zone, let's figure it out in more detail. The core itself is nothing more than the central "organ" of the reactor. It concentrates all the atomic recharge and directly through it, or rather through the entire main, specified area, a coordinated chain reaction spreads. Thanks to this newest design of the Afrikantov OKBM, now the commanders of nuclear submarines will not have to worry about recharging their nuclear power.

Assessment of competent sources

The situation was commented on by an officer with the rank of Admiral Vyacheslav Popov. In particular, he said that the fact of production of a "permanent" reactor can really be regarded as an achievement of enormous scale, which is of great importance for the combat activity of the naval submarine arsenal. In addition, he clarified that the recharge carried out in the fleet is considered to be the most basic function. Previously, its implementation took at least a month. During this period, the combat strength of the fleet tended to be reduced by one unit.

"With a reactor designed and does not require recharging, the indicator allocated for the use of this machine can increase several times at once," summed up the admiral.

Based on the report prepared by "Afrikantov OKBM" information appeared that the success of tests carried out with an optimal core, developed for nuclear submarines, which are representatives of the fourth generation, was 100% confirmed. That which will be used as efficiently as possible will once again prove the feasibility of the project, which is based on the creation of ship cores.

The fourth generation submarines launched in Russia include such submarines as Borey and Ash.

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