How does a ww2 submarine work?
World War II submarines were basically surface ships that could travel underwater for a limited time. Diesel engines gave them high surface speed and long range, but speed and range were severely reduced underwater, where they relied on electric motors powered by relatively short-lived storage batteries.
How does a submarine motor work?
The diesel engine operates normally when the sub is near the surface but it doesn’t drive the sub’s propellers directly. Instead, it powers an electricity generator that charges up huge batteries. These drive an electric motor that, in turn, powers the propellers.
How many Balao class submarines are there?
120
Balao-class submarine
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| In commission | 1943–present |
| Completed | 120 |
| Cancelled | 62 |
| Active | 1 |
What is crush depth in Balao submarine?
She was designed to be operated at a test depth of 412 feet, and she was expected to survive without being crushed up to 600 feet. During combat at least some Balao class submarines survived depths in excess of 800 feet.
How submarine engine works underwater?
The sub must surface (or cruise just below the surface using a snorkel) to run the diesel engines. Once the batteries are fully charged, the sub can head underwater. The batteries power electric motors that drive the propellers. Battery operation is the only way a diesel sub can actually submerge.
How do submarines navigate underwater?
Submarines carry an inertial navigation system, which measures the boat’s motion and constantly updates position. Because it does not rely on radio signals or celestial sightings, it allows the boat to navigate while remaining hidden under the surface.
How is a submarine construction?
The inner hull is welded to steel ribs that are then welded to the outer hull. The steel ribs separate the two hulls, allowing space for the ballast tanks that control the depth of the submarine. The outer hull only extends as far as the bottom and sides of the inner hull, allowing the submarine to remain upright.
How quiet is a Virginia Class submarine?
Speeds are reportedly twenty-five knots on the surface and thirty-five knots underwater, and the submarines are reportedly as quiet at twenty-five knots as the Los Angeles class is alongside the pier. Like its Russian counterpart, a Virginia’s main sonar is a spherical, bow-mounted type.
How many torpedoes does a submarine carry?
A submarine will typically carry 12 to 38 torpedoes or missiles shared between four and eight torpedo tubes. Missile tubes, meanwhile, which are typically mounted vertically on the top of the hull, carry one missile each.
How deep could a ww2 U boat dive?
660 to 920 feet
World War II German U-boats generally had collapse depths in the range of 200 to 280 metres (660 to 920 feet).
How do they get oxygen on submarines?
Oxygen in submarines is produced by putting sea water through a process of electrolysis. Submarines typically have a couple of big oxygen tanks as well, used to quickly raise oxygen concentration if the system fails.
How does a submarine See above water?
Instead, submarines have a special device called a periscope. It allows people inside the submarine to see what’s going on above water. Where does the word “periscope” come from? It’s a combination of the Greek words “peri” and “scopus,” which mean “around” and “look.”
How do submarines not run out of air?
Oxygen is supplied either from pressurized tanks, an oxygen generator (which can form oxygen from the electrolysis of water) or some sort of “oxygen canister” that releases oxygen by a very hot chemical reaction.
How long does it take to design a submarine?
(Or, in either case, production rate must be increased; see below.) As mentioned above, it takes at least six years to build an attack submarine. Thus, if a fleet size of 40 is to be sustained at a production rate of no more than two per year, construction of the new attack submarine must begin by 1999.
Do Virginia class submarines have nuclear weapons?
Second, like all warships in the U.S. Navy’s undersea fleet, the Virginia class is nuclear-powered. This gives it unlimited range and endurance, only needing to be refueled once during its forty-year lifespan.
Are Virginia class submarines nuclear armed?
The Virginia class, also known as the SSN-774 class, is a class of nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarines, in service in the United States Navy.
How do submarines not get crushed?
Now, a submarine is basically a metal container filled with air, and there is just enough air in a submarine to exert the atmospheric pressure at sea level. If the submarine goes underwater, the amount of air within it does not change (unless there is a leak, of course), so the pressure within the sub remains the same.