How to build a nuclear submarine

[Tiny Turnip]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00syt1w/How_to_Build..._A_Nuclear_Submarine/

On BBC iplayer until Sunday 18th July, a 1 hour documentary about the building of an astute class by BAE at Barrow.

coupla stats to whet your appetites:

A quarter of a million miles of cabling;

25000 valves;

The passive sonar can hear a ship leaving New York when the sub is in Southampton.

Enjoy!

[jehardiman]

The passive sonar can hear a ship leaving New York when the sub is in Southampton.


That's a pretty noisy ship...What is it?...An English VTOL carrier or a Collins class SS? ;)

[hoytedow]

It might be an Origami thingy. :D

[mydauphin]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00syt1w/How_to_Build..._A_Nuclear_Submarine/

On BBC iplayer until Sunday 18th July, a 1 hour documentary about the building of an astute class by BAE at Barrow.

coupla stats to whet your appetites:

A quarter of a million miles of cabling;

25000 valves;

The passive sonar can hear a ship leaving New York when the sub is in Southampton.

Enjoy!

Even when the sub is out of the water...

[nikezz]

Even when the sub is out of the water...

So it hears every ship that exits a port? That's pretty sensitive. How does it filter the noise?

[CatBuilder]

I've always dreamed of replacing the diesel in my boats with a small reactor and turbine setup. Imagine the electricity, heat and propulsion you'd get... for YEARS on end.

[ACuttle]

The sub doesn't stand up so well to stealthy sandbanks:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-11605365
...which was a fairly embarrassing navigation error.

[keysdisease]

Military Submarines almost never employ active sonar which would have probably detected shoaling conditions and kept that sub off the hard. Active sonar would give their position.

A modern sub counts on passive sonar, listen only, and has sophisticated computer programs to filter noise and interput. They can indeed hear ship sounds at increadible distance, as well as identifying ship type, and course and speed by dopler.


Steve


The sub doesn't stand up so well to stealthy sandbanks:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-11605365
...which was a fairly embarrassing navigation error.

[Submarine Tom]

Well, the ASTUTE was on sea trials when the grounding occured. That's the second time in two years they've grounded a sub in that area. Not really what one would expect for a Navy with such an extensive background.

-Tom

[wardd]

the royal navy has had bad luck since jutland

[daiquiri]

the royal navy has had bad luck since jutland
And now a small digression for you gun and history lovers ;) - was Jutland really a matter of british bad luck, or was it rather a matter of the german Imperial Navy's ability?

[ACuttle]

Military Submarines almost never employ active sonar which would have probably detected shoaling conditions and kept that sub off the hard. Active sonar would give their position.

A modern sub counts on passive sonar, listen only, and has sophisticated computer programs to filter noise and interput. They can indeed hear ship sounds at increadible distance, as well as identifying ship type, and course and speed by dopler.
Steve

Yes, though even from before Jutland they had charts that might have kept them off the hard. Less of a comment on the sonar more on carelessness - it was particularly unfortunate that it was a very public accident.

And now a small digression for you gun and history lovers - was Jutland really a matter of british bad luck, or was it rather a matter of the german Imperial Navy's ability?

There was a RINA talk on this last year but I didn't make it. One could argue that the RN earnt themselves a fair chunk of 'bad-luck' by failing to learn the lessons of Jutland. I'm sure that there are plenty of other folk that have a much finer set of opinions on this though.

On BBC iplayer until Sunday 18th July, a 1 hour documentary about the building of an astute class by BAE at Barrow.
I watch this back in July, it struck me that it was a pretty much a propaganda piece - whatever, they're impressive vessels.

[Submarine Tom]

We (Canada) are now the "proud" owners of four of their diesel-electric cast-offs from years gone by. One of them even came with a pressure hull "dent" from another collision.

-Tom

[wardd]

And now a small digression for you gun and history lovers ;) - was Jutland really a matter of british bad luck, or was it rather a matter of the german Imperial Navy's ability?

my understanding is it was not following proper procedure with propelent handling

[wardd]

We (Canada) are now the "proud" owners of four of their diesel-electric cast-offs from years gone by. One of them even came with a pressure hull "dent" from another collision.

-Tom
\
a lil epox filler and it'll be as good as new

[Submarine Tom]

Oh it "looks" great, I saw it a few months ago. Wouldn't catch me going down in that thing.

-Tom

[hoytedow]

the royal navy has had bad luck since jutlandEven before that.:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Bonhomme_Richard

[hoytedow]

And now a small digression for you gun and history lovers ;) - was Jutland really a matter of british bad luck, or was it rather a matter of the german Imperial Navy's ability?The latter, I believe.