Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction..1
Basics....2
Propulsion..3
Early Submarines4
The Turtle5
Civil War ....6
Mechanical Power.7
Diesel Electric8
Armament.....9
World at War.10
World War II: Atlantic..11
World War II: Pacific.12
Nuclear Power13
Nuclear Submarines..14
Life on a Submarine15
Polar Ice Expeditions.16
Civil Use....17
Dangers and Accident Prevention..18
Future.20
Glossary.21
Picture Sources....22
About the Authors..23
Introduction
Meaning the under the sea, the word submarine is the combination of
sub and marine. Submarines are vessels specifically design to dive and
operate freely under water. They should not be confused with
submersibles, which are unable to operate independent of a mother ship.
The earliest submarines were little more than small wooden vessels that
could accommodate only a few sailors and could operate over a very
limited range. Modern submarines, however, are massive ships which are
capable of remaining submerged for months at a time and are able to
cover thousands of miles. Submarines are incredibly useful as well; they
are valuable both commercially and militarily.
Basics
Ships float on water because of buoyancy. All fluids exert pressure,
water included. It is this pressure that assist in keeping objects afloat.
While buoyancy helps ships stay above the surface of the water, it also
makes it difficult to submerge a submarine. In order to dive, the
submarine must overcome buoyancy. This is done by filling the ballast
tanks with water, weighing down the vessel, and sinking it.
Submarines must also protect the crew serving on the vessel from the
harsh underwater environment. Not only must the crew be supplied
with oxygen, but they must be protected from the immense pressure
water exerts. As a result, submarines are built with a pressurized
interior cabin where the crew can work safely. Shown in the diagram
above, are both the ballast tanks, as well as the pressurized interior of
the submarine.
Propulsion
The earliest submarines used either oars or a corkscrew to provide
propulsion. While they did work, these two propulsion devices were
inefficient; therefore, the propeller was adopted. A propeller works by
pushing water much like a fan blows air. Using angled blades, the
propeller moves the fluid backwards, which in turn propels the ship
forwards.
While the propeller is still standard, some ships deploy pump jets to
provide propulsion. A pump jet is an enclosed propeller system that
produces less noise than a conventional propeller, making any ship using
one stealthier. In addition, pump jets add maneuverability because the
direction of the resulting current of water can be changed. Pump jets are
more expensive, and they do negatively affect performance, such as the
case with fuel economy.
A pump jet.
Early Submarines
There is evidence that the ancient Greeks used a precursor to the
submarine, the diving bell. This was a vessel that could be lowered
underwater and held a small volume of air. It allowed the operator to
stay under the surface for a longer period of time. Diving bells are not
true submarines, which first appeared hundreds of years later.
Two early submarine designs, the design on the left dates from the fourteenth
century and the design on the right dates from the fifteenth century.
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The Turtle
Designed by David Bushnell in 1776, the Turtle was to be used against
the British in the American War of Independence. The Turtle was an egg
shaped vessel equipped with a mine, specially designed to detonate in
water. Unfortunately for the Americans, the Turtles top speed was 3 mile
per hour in calm waters; this was largely due to the non-hydrodynamic
shape and insufficient propulsion system.
The Alligator
The Hunley
Diesel Electric
Powering submarines has always been a problem because coal,
gasoline, and diesel engines all require oxygen to function. When
submerged all the oxygen in the ship is used by the crew, and it is not in
free supply. Motors were considered as an alternative because they require
no oxygen to function. Unfortunately, batteries are heavy and a ship
equipped solely with batteries and motor would have an unreasonable
weight.
The solution was to make a hybrid ship, one that would run on diesel
on the surface and use electric when submerged. Diesel offered great fuel
efficiency and the range that a submarine needs, while the electricity
allowed the ship to run underwater. Originally, these crafts had a propeller
attached to both a diesel engine and an electric motor. In 1928 however a
more efficient system was designed. Rather than using the engine to power
the boat, it would be used to recharge the submarines batteries.
Armament
The earliest submarines had to physically plant explosives on ships;
needless to say this was not an efficient method. As they increased in size,
the submarines needed a better way to engage and sank enemy vessels.
Two solutions were developed: deck cannons, and the torpedo.
World at War
Submarines first played major role in World War One. The British
Navy was by far the most powerful navy in the world at the time, and the
German fleet could not match it. The Germans adopted a new strategy to
combat the British fleet, submarine warfare. While all sides had
submarines, only the Germans saw their value and their u-boats were by far
the most advanced submarines of the war.
A German u-boat
Initially, the u-boats were used to attack a military vessel, but the
disadvantages of submarines hindered the effectiveness of the attacks.
Despite being capable of sneaking up to a ship, u-boats were slow,
immovable, and almost blind underwater. Ultimately the Germans could
not seriously hinder the British Navy. They changed tactics and began
attacking merchant vessels in an attempt to cut off resources coming into
Britain.
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Advances to depth charges, the most common anti-submarine weapon, decreased the
amount of ships sunk by U-boats.
Sonar and radar allowed the Allied Navy to detect U-boats on the
surface as well as when submerged. Along with better detection methods,
the Allies developed anti-submarine weapons. In addition aircraft were
equipped with technologies to combat the u-boat threat.
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After Pearl Harbor, the American surface fleet was decimated, but the
American submarines were untouched. The United States proceeded to
carry out its own unrestricted submarine warfare policy, attacking the
shipping that was vital to the Japanese war effort. Submarines destroyed
over half of the Japanese merchant fleet, crippling the economy of the
island nation. By the end of the war, Japan did not even have enough fuel
to power their naval vessels. Along with offensive roles, the American
submarines were used in support roles such as reconnaissance, and search
and rescue.
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Nuclear Power
Throughout both World Wars, all submarines were diesel electric.
While these submarines could submerge longer than their predecessors,
they still had to surface to recharge their batteries. After the Second World
War a new power source was available: nuclear power. Unlike diesel
generators, nuclear generators not require oxygen, instead they relied on
uranium.
All matter can be converted into energy, and in fission most of the
matter is converted into usable energy. In nuclear bombs all of the stored
energy of the bombs core, usually uranium, is released all at once,
producing an explosion that can level cities. In nuclear generators the same
amount of energy is released, but over long periods of time. In nuclear
fission the energy stored in matter is released efficiently. A baseball sized
piece of uranium can produce as much power as one million gallons of
gasoline.
Throttle
Valve
Turbine
Reactor
Water Pump
Generator
Electric
Generator
In nuclear generators the energy stored in the uranium is released through heat
energy. This heat converts the water, which is pumped in to cool the reactor, into
steam. This steam turns a turbine, which is connected to an electric generator. The
steam cools down, converting back into water, and is pumped through the reactor.
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Nuclear Submarines
Many modern submarines utilize nuclear energy to provide power.
Because they do not need to surface to recharge their batteries, submarines
are able to spend much of their time underwater. The only limitation of
how long a submarine can stay underwater is its food supply; the uranium
in the generators can last for 25 years.
The downside of nuclear submarines is a loss of stealth. Nuclear
generators create a great amount of heat. This heat comes directly from the
reactor, and is even produced when the generator is off. In order to keep
the generator from overheating, this heat must be dissipated into the water
surrounding the submarine. This process leaves a thermal scar, an area of
heated water that thermal imaging systems can detect. In addition, the
generator emits a large amount of noise, which comes from the steam and
water running through the reactor. This sound is loud enough to be
detected by other ships.
Nuclear submarines have more tubular shapes then submarines such as the u-boat.
Since nuclear submarines are underwater more often than on the surface, their shape
is designed to be hydrodynamic. This comes at a cost however; the ship is less stable
on the surface.
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Life on a Submarine
At first, submarines were not suitable for extended habitation. Early
submarines lacked the life support systems that sustain the crews of
modern submarines. However, the invention of diesel-electric engines
allowed larger submarines to be built, which in turn allowed for more
livable ships.
The first aspect of life on a submarine is the tight quarters. Being a
closed metal tube deep underwater, submarines have inevitable space
restraints. In fact, the earliest submarines resembled caskets more than
boats. They were generally built to accommodate only a few occupants,
unlike modern submarines, which can hold upwards of a hundred crew
members. The early submarine had a seat for the pilot and not much else.
They were used more like cars; they were transportation devices used to
move from one place to another. The pilot was not able to leave his seat
except when he was leaving the submarine. The development of newer
submarines brought about the idea of actually living on a submarine.
Shown above is the forward torpedo room of a World War Two era submarine.
Due to the lack of space on the ship, there are actually bunks on top of torpedoes.
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Civil Use
Although most submarines are used for military purposes, some are
used outside the military. Submarines, as well as submersibles, can be used
for tourism, explorations, and investigations of undersea cables and
structures. Tourist submarines first appeared in 1985 and because of
increasing popularity the number these ships today is around forty-five.
Submersibles
Submersibles are very useful to scientists who wish to explore underwater.
They are used for oceanography, underwater archeology, ocean exploration, or even
underwater photography or video recording. Being smaller, submersibles are a more
economic choice than submarines. Submersibles can be dropped into deep ocean
trenches. The submersible is tethered to the mother ship, which the submersible is
dependent on for surfacing and refueling. Scientists onboard can control external
robotic appendages to collect samples and conduct experiments. Submersibles excel
in this aspect of underwater research because small size of submersibles makes them
maneuverable in tight areas.
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Future
Unmanned vehicles are a new technology that future submarines
could utilize. These miniature aquatic crafts would be used to search areas
by using onboard sensors, allowing them to gather information about
enemy locations and activities without being detected. Submarines might
even be able to launch unmanned aerial vehicles. These would be incredibly
efficient at collecting information about the location of enemy boats. Noncombative submarines can also utilize unmanned vehicle technologies;
smaller submarines can be used to explore areas that were otherwise
unreachable. This would allow for the research of underwater caves and
crevices.
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Glossary
Mother ship: This is the vehicle that other smaller vehicles are dependent on for refueling or
transportation.
Buoyancy: Buoyancy is when the water pressure pushes back on a floating object. It keeps objects
above the surface of the water. Objects with low buoyancy do not float.
Ballast Tank: Ships have a compartment near the base called the ballast tank. These tanks contain
water, which lowers the center of gravity of the vessel and prevent tipping.
Hydrodynamic: An object that is hydrodynamic does not resist movement through a fluid, generally
water. Boats and submarines are designed to be hydrodynamic.
Sloop: A sloop is a ship, smaller than a frigate, used by the navy.
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare: The type of naval warfare where submarines sink shipping boats
without warning is considered unrestricted submarine warfare. In conventional warfare, the
submarines are supposed to allow the passengers leave the target ship before it the target is
sunk.
Wolfpack: This is the German U-boat strategy of massive attacks on single targets. It was used during
the Battle of the Atlantic in WWII.
Depth Charge: An anti-submarine explosive is known as a depth charge. They are dropped into the
ocean with a fuse that sets off the explosion at the correct depth. These are used to damage
submarines that are hidden underwater.
Uranium: The radioactive element that is used as fuel for nuclear reactors is uranium.
Fission: The nuclear reaction or decay of the radioactive substance is called fission. This process
releases energy that is harnessed by nuclear reactors.
Bulkhead: A bulkhead is a partition in the hull of a boat; typically ships have many bulkheads. They
separate the hull into multiple water tight compartments
Thermal Scar: As a nuclear submarine travels through the water, it leaves a trail of heat called a
thermal scar. It can be detected by thermal imaging systems.
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Picture Sources
Page 1:
ashokachakra.blogspot.com
Page 2:
http://ffden2.phys.uaf.edu/212_fall2009.web/Taylor_Duggar/Movement2.html
Page 3:
http://www.mercurymarine.com/propellers/about/how-propellerswork/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pump-jet
Page4:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine
Page 5:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine
Page 6:
http://www.modelshipmaster.com/products/civil_war/index.htm
Page 7:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine
Page 8:
http://www.onr.navy.mil/focus/blowballast/sub/work6.htm
Page 9:
http://www.u-35.com/prewar/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedos
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Picture Sources
Page 10:
http://ceweb2.uml.edu/FinalProjects/Jbarl50367/pics/ww1/uboats.html
Page 11:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-submarine_warfare
Page 12:
http://www.istorya.net/forums/general-discussions/375584-i-400submarine-aircraft-carrier.html
Page 13
http://mitnse.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/nuclear_power_011.pdf
Page 14:
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/barracuda/barracuda1.html
Page 15:
http://www.sqlskills.com/BLOGS/PAUL/post/Photos-of-the-USSSilversides-WWII-submarine.aspx
Page 16:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Skate_%28SSN-578%29
Page 17:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine
Page 18:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/subs/operating/aboard/damage/index.html
Page 19:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCann_Rescue_Chamber
Page 20:
http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_
4.htm
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