Cross-section of a nuclear submarine. How does a nuclear submarine work?

Introduction

If you carefully study the history of the Soviet Navy, then it is the quantitative indicators that catch your eye - the Soviet submarine fleet was numerous. It is clear that the basis of the Soviet fleet was not super-submarines, but simple and cheap boats of mass production.

From the mid-60s to the early 80s, the construction of three series of multi-purpose nuclear boats of project 671-671, 671RT and 671RTM with a total number of (15+7+26) 48 units made it possible to saturate all ocean-going fleets with modern submarines. The six hundred and seventy-first series was supplemented by missile carriers of projects 670A and 670M (11+6 = 17 units) designed and built at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant in the city of Gorky - small single-reactor ships, considered the quietest boats of the 2nd generation. The fleet also received very specific Lyras - high-speed submarines of Project 705 (7 units). This made it possible to create a group of 70 modern multi-purpose nuclear-powered ships by the mid-70s.

Although the boats were distinguished by mediocre characteristics, due to their large numbers they provided combat service for the USSR Navy in all corners of the planet. Let us note that it is precisely this path that the United States is following, building a huge series of inexpensive simple boats of the Los Angeles type (62 boats), and on this moment– Virginia (plan 30, 11 in service).

Budget nuclear submarine concept
for the Russian Navy

Academician Spassky, in his article in the magazine “Military Parade” in 1997, indicated that the Russian fleet needs about a hundred submarines. Approximately, 15 strategic missile carriers, 15-20 missile cruisers with cruise missiles and 30-40 diesel-electric submarines are needed. The remaining boats (40-50 units) should be nuclear-powered multi-purpose.

The problem is that there are no similar boats in Russia. The construction of Project 971 and 945 nuclear submarines has been stopped and there is no point in restoring them. Project 885 nuclear submarines are being built in a small series - a series of 8 units has been announced by 2020. At the same time, their price - from 30 to 47 billion rubles and the construction time - one boat in 5-8 years does not allow having many such boats. Diesel-electric boats - which are now fashionable to call non-nuclear - are too small and cannot go to sea for a long time. There are currently no intermediate projects between a 2000 ton boat and a 9500 ton boat.

There have been discussions about the need for such a boat for a long time, but so far nothing concrete has appeared. For example, variants of the 885 project without a missile compartment were proposed, but it quickly became clear that such a project would not reduce the cost/increase the series/construction time. The fleet will simply get a worse boat for the same money. The option of a “Russian Rubis” was also considered - i.e. a small boat with full electric propulsion, but such proposals were rejected by the French themselves, who are currently building a nuclear submarine of normal size. European (for example, English) experience is also not capable of helping.

Therefore, I decided to figure out on my own what such a boat should be like.

In my opinion, the concept of a budget nuclear submarine should be as follows:

1. To reduce the weight and size characteristics and cost of the nuclear power plant, we are reducing the required full speed from 31-33 to 25 knots, which will reduce the maximum power of the power plant by 2.5 times compared to 3rd generation boats. Those. up to 20 thousand hp The fact is that when the boat moves at maximum speed, due to the roar of the water, it loses both stealth and the ability to detect targets. At the same time, reducing the power of the power plant reduces the weight and spends the saved weight on strengthening the weapons. In our case, for a missile compartment with 16 missiles.
2. Refusal from extreme quantitative duplication of systems, as well as from an increased reserve of buoyancy (we will have it in the region of 16%), and a rescue chamber.
3. Reduction compared to 3rd generation boats maximum depth diving from 600 to 450 meters, which will reduce the weight of the hull.
4. The one and a half building architecture is the same as in Severodvinsk. The 2nd and 3rd compartments - residential and control - have a single-hull architecture. The rest are double-hulled.
5. Armament - combined - UVP for missiles and torpedo tubes for torpedoes. Moreover, the TA is of two calibers: large - for combat torpedoes and small - for anti-torpedoes and means of active hydroacoustic jamming.
6. The torpedo tubes have a classic location for the Soviet fleet - in the upper hemisphere in the bow. Because now the boat has not only a spherical antenna in the bow, but also on-board conformal antennas.
7. The boats should be built at second-tier factories in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the construction period for a serial boat is no more three years, cost 18-20 billion rubles.

The structure of a nuclear submarine

The Project P-95 multi-purpose nuclear submarine is designed to combat enemy shipping, enemy ship groups, submarines, strike coastal targets, carry out mine laying, and conduct reconnaissance.

Just like on 3rd generation boats, all the main equipment and combat stations are located in amor-ti-zi-ro-van-zonal blocks -kah. Amor-ti-za-tion greatly reduces the acoustics of the ship, and also allows you to protect the boat from underwater explosions.

First compartment- torpedo, in its upper half there are the breech parts of the torpedo tubes and all the ammunition on automated racks. Below it there is a room with racks of radio-electronic weapons equipment, a ventilation and air conditioning compartment. Below them are holds and a battery pit.

Second and third compartments– management and residential. On the first and second decks are the main command post, wheelhouses, and equipment for the combat information and control system (CIUS); the third and fourth decks are occupied by residential, public and medical spaces. In the hold there is all kinds of equipment, air conditioning and general ship systems. The second compartment houses all the lifting and mast devices, and the third contains a diesel generator.

Fourth compartment– rocket. It contains 4 strong shafts in each of which there are 4 transport and launch containers with cruise missiles. The compartment also houses various equipment and storage areas.

Fifth compartment- reactor. The reactor itself with its equipment is isolated from the rest of the boat by biological protection. The PPU itself, together with the systems, is suspended on cantilever beams embedded in the bulkheads.

Sixth compartment- turbine. It consists of a block steam turbine unit and an autonomous turbogenerator and refrigeration machines of the steam turbine unit. The block stands on an intermediate frame through shock absorbers, which is secured to special racks through a second cascade of shock absorbers. Also in this compartment there is located on a special shock-absorbed platform a reversible low-speed electric motor and a coupling that allows you to disconnect the GTZ.

Seventh compartment- auxiliary mechanisms. A shaft line passes through it with the main thrust bearing in the bow and the propeller shaft seal in the stern. The compartment is double decked. It also contains a tiller compartment, which houses hydraulic steering machines, as well as tillers and the ends of the rudder stocks.

Above the second and third compartments there is a fence for the wheelhouse and retractable devices. In the stern, four stabilizers form the stern tail. The main entrance to the submarine is through the wheelhouse fence. In addition, there are auxiliary and repair hatches above the first fifth and seventh compartments.

The main propulsion device is a seven-blade low-speed propeller with a diameter of 4.4 meters. Auxiliary – two retractable columns with a power of 420 hp. providing speeds up to 5 knots.

It was decided to abandon the installation of water jets due to lower efficiency and lower efficiency at low speeds.

Powerplant and equipment

The boat has characteristics exceeding the requirements for the fourth generation of submarines. Those. corresponds to generation 4+.

To ensure low noise in our project, we are moving away from the traditional traction for the Soviet fleet to high-power power plants with low specific gravity. Multi-purpose boats of the 2nd generation had two 70 MW reactors and a turbine with a capacity of 31 thousand Horse power, boats of the third - 190 MW and 50 thousand horsepower. At the same time, it is known that the mass of power plants of the 2nd and 3rd generations is approximately the same and is in the region of 1000 tons (according to various estimates from 900 to 1100 tons) - only the specific weight differs - the mass of one horsepower.

So, we are deliberately going to reduce the power of the power plant and refuse unification with power plants of other types. At the same time, in addition to reducing power, we are also simplifying the power plant circuit. This approach makes it possible to reduce the dimensions and dimensions of the power unit, increasing the number of weapons, while due to the increase in specific characteristics, the aggregate reliability increases. Plus, since the power unit is of lower power, it makes less noise, costs less and is more reliable.

The Kikimora power plant includes:

• one nuclear reactor with a capacity of 70 MW, with two steam generators, one primary circuit pump on each. Approximately this nuclear reactor design is used on American Virginia-class nuclear submarines. The reactor can operate in low-noise mode with natural circulation at 20% of the nominal power, providing steam only to the boat's turbogenerator.
• one GTZA with a single-casing steam turbine and a planetary gearbox with a shaft power of 20,000 hp. At the same time, when moving under the turbine, the propulsion electric motor works as a generator, which allows you to turn off the steam generator and go under only one unit.
• reversible electric propulsion motor for low-noise propulsion with a power of 1500 kW. Installed in front of the turbine, i.e. The GTZA can be turned off and run only under the turbogenerator and electric motor, or you can, on the contrary, turn on the GTZA and turn off the turbogenerator, then the propulsion electric motor works as a generator. Having only one working device eliminates resonances and reduces the noise of the boat.
• one low-noise autonomous turbogenerator with a power of 3500 kW. In this case, the turbogenerator is located along the axis of the boat, the plane of the boat - under the turbine on the same shock-absorbing platform, only from below. This scheme ensures minimization of the noise emitted by the generator and allows you to obtain minimal noise when driving under an electric motor in low-noise mode. At the same time, both ATG and GTZA each use their own fittings - capacitors, refrigerators, pumps, etc. Including feedwater supplies. This allows you to increase the reliability of the power plant and the autonomy of the boat.
• one diesel generator with a capacity of 1600 kW. Located in compartment 3. One large battery in the first compartment and 3 small batteries in compartments 2, 3 and 7.

Electronic weapons

The composition of radio-electronic weapons is classic. The boat is armed with a sonar system with several antennas and retractable devices. Reception of information from all devices and control of weapons is carried out by an integrated combat information and control system.

The hydroacoustic complex of a submarine consists of:

• bow spherical antenna with a diameter of 4.4 meters
• two onboard low-frequency conformal antennas
• high-frequency anti-mine sonar in the bow of the cabin
• towed low frequency antenna
• non-acoustic wake detection systems for surface ships

Retractable devices: (from bow to stern)

• universal optronic periscope - in addition to several optical channels, it is equipped with a laser rangefinder and a thermal imager.
• multi-purpose digital communications complex – provides both terrestrial and space communications in several bands.
• radar/electronic warfare complex - is a multifunctional radar with a phased array antenna, capable of detecting both surface and air targets, with the additional ability to jam.
• RDP is a device for operating a diesel engine under water.
• digital passive electronic reconnaissance complex - instead of old direction finders. It has a wider range of applications and, thanks to its passive operating mode, is not detected by enemy RTR equipment.

Armament

As mentioned above, thanks to the light power plant and lightweight hull, the boat has extremely powerful weapons for its size, amounting to 56 weapons with a standard load. At the same time, anti-ship missiles and anti-submarine missile-torpedoes are launched from the UVP. Torpedoes are launched from torpedo tubes.

The armament of a nuclear submarine consists of:

• 16 launchers in 4 strong shafts located in the midship area of ​​the ship. These are not "Onyxes", they did not fit in length. In our case, we use three times cheaper solid-fuel anti-ship missiles and vertical-launch missile-torpedoes (they are solid-fuel initially). The anti-ship missile has a mass of 2.5 tons, transonic speed and a flight range of 200 km with a warhead of 450 kilograms, an anti-submarine missile-torpedo has a range of 35 km (more is not needed for a boat) and a warhead in the form of a 324-mm torpedo or underwater missile .
• Four 605-mm torpedo tubes with ammunition of 20 torpedoes - 4 in the torpedo tubes and 16 on mechanized racks. The increase in the caliber of torpedoes is due to the desire to increase the capabilities of the torpedo without increasing the length. If an ordinary Soviet torpedo has a caliber of 533 mm and a length of 7.9 meters, then our torpedo, with almost the same length (8 meters), is thicker and heavier by a ton (i.e. weighs three tons). There are two types of torpedoes in ammunition - the first has a heavy warhead weighing 800 kg (modern supertankers are so huge that they require large warheads), the second has a high speed and range - 50 knots/50 km.
• Also, instead of some torpedoes, the boat can take up to 64 mines of various types.
• Four 457-mm torpedo tubes designed to launch anti-torpedoes, hydroacoustic jammers, simulators and small anti-mine torpedoes. Ammunition - 4 torpedoes in TA and 16 in two echelons in mechanized racks. Instead of 16 small torpedoes, the racks can accommodate 4 large torpedoes. The mini-torpedo has a length of 4.2 meters and a mass of 450 kilograms, a firing range of up to 15 kilometers, and a warhead mass of 120 kilograms.
• Six Igla MANPADS with a supply of missiles.

Crew and habitability

The boat's crew consists of 70 people, including 30 officers. This practically corresponds to Project 971 boats, where the crew is 72-75 people. There are about 100 people on the boats of Project 671RTM and Project 885. For comparison, on American Virginia-type boats the crew is 120 people, and on Los Angeles boats in general - 140. All personnel are housed in single-occupancy cabins and small cockpits. For meals and other events, two wardrooms are used - the officer's and the midshipman's. The boat is equipped with a medical unit, showers and a sauna. All living quarters are located in the 2-3rd compartments on decks 2 and 3.

Comparison with competitors

Compared to its direct predecessor - the 671rtm project - the boat became almost 12 meters shorter, thicker and lost 6 knots of speed. By reducing the weight of the power plant (by 200-250 tons), it became possible to strengthen the armament with a compartment with anti-ship missiles. With almost the same underwater displacement, due to a reduction in the reserve of buoyancy (i.e. water) by 900 tons, habitable volumes increased, which made it possible to improve habitability conditions. Noise has decreased radically. The detection range of low-noise targets has also increased. The autonomy remained at the same level, but the accommodation conditions for the crew have become better, while the boat is better in operation, which will increase the utilization factor from 0.25 to 0.4.

Compared to its classmate - Project 885 - the boat of Project P-95 has one and a half times less displacement and one and a half to two times (depending on the number of ships in the series) less cost. There is an opinion that in low-noise mode when moving under an electric motor, the boat will be quieter even than Project 885.

The P-95 project looks very worthy against the background of the American Virginia-class boat. At least in duel situations, our ship will not be inferior to the American one.

Kikmora Kalugina

Based on this project, a nuclear submarine project more in line with reality was created Russian fleet- Project K-95K or "Kikimora Kalugin". About her in a separate article.

Operating principle of the submarine

The submarine's submersion and ascent system includes ballast and auxiliary tanks, as well as connecting pipelines and fittings. The main element here is the main ballast tanks, by filling them with water the main buoyancy reserve of the submarine is extinguished. All tanks are included in the bow, stern and middle groups. They can be filled and purged one at a time or simultaneously.

The submarine has trim tanks necessary to compensate for the longitudinal displacement of cargo. The ballast between trim tanks is blown using compressed air or pumped using special pumps. Trimming is the name of the technique, the purpose of which is to “balance” the submerged submarine.

Nuclear submarines are divided into generations. The first (50th) is characterized by relatively high noise and imperfect hydroacoustic systems. The second generation was built in the 60s and 70s: the hull shape was optimized to increase speed. The boats of the third one are larger; they also have equipment for electronic warfare. The fourth generation nuclear submarines are characterized by an unprecedented low noise level and advanced electronics. The appearance of the fifth generation boats is being worked out these days.

An important component of any submarine is the air system. Diving, surfacing, removing waste - all this is done using compressed air. The latter is stored under high pressure on board the submarine: this way it takes up less space and allows you to accumulate more energy. High-pressure air is in special cylinders: as a rule, its quantity is monitored by a senior mechanic. Compressed air reserves are replenished upon ascent. This is a long and labor-intensive procedure that requires special attention. To ensure that the crew of the boat has something to breathe, air regeneration units are installed on board the submarine, allowing them to obtain oxygen from sea water.

Premier League: what are they?

A nuclear boat has a nuclear power plant (where, in fact, the name comes from). Nowadays, many countries also operate diesel-electric submarines (submarines). The level of autonomy of nuclear submarines is much higher, and they can perform a wider range of tasks. The Americans and British have stopped using non-nuclear submarines altogether, while the Russian submarine fleet has a mixed composition. In general, only five countries have nuclear submarines. In addition to the USA and the Russian Federation, the “club of the elite” includes France, England and China. Other maritime powers use diesel-electric submarines.

The future of the Russian submarine fleet is connected with two new nuclear submarines. We are talking about multi-purpose boats of Project 885 “Yasen” and strategic missile submarines 955 “Borey”. Eight units of Project 885 boats will be built, and the number of Boreys will reach seven. The Russian submarine fleet will not be comparable to the American one (the United States will have dozens of new submarines), but it will occupy second place in the world rankings.

Russian and American boats differ in their architecture. The United States makes its nuclear submarines single-hull (the hull both resists pressure and has a streamlined shape), while Russia makes its nuclear submarines double-hulled: in this case, there is an internal, rough, durable hull and an external, streamlined, lightweight one. On Project 949A Antey nuclear submarines, which included the infamous Kursk, the distance between the hulls is 3.5 m. It is believed that double-hull boats are more durable, while single-hull boats, all other things being equal, have less weight. In single-hull boats, the main ballast tanks, which ensure ascent and submersion, are located inside a durable hull, while in double-hull boats, they are inside a lightweight outer hull. Every domestic submarine must survive if any compartment is completely flooded with water - this is one of the main requirements for submarines.

In general, there is a tendency to switch to single-hull nuclear submarines, since the latest steel from which the hulls of American boats are made allows them to withstand enormous loads at depth and provides the submarine with a high level of survivability. We are talking, in particular, about high-strength steel grade HY-80/100 with a yield strength of 56-84 kgf/mm. Obviously, even more advanced materials will be used in the future.

There are also boats with a mixed hull (when a light hull only partially covers the main one) and multi-hulls (several strong hulls inside a light one). The latter includes the domestic missile submarine cruiser Project 941, the largest nuclear submarine in the world. Inside its lightweight body are five durable housings, two of which are the main ones. Titanium alloys were used to make durable cases, and steel alloys were used for lightweight ones. It is covered with a non-resonant anti-location soundproof rubber coating weighing 800 tons. This coating alone weighs more than the American nuclear submarine NR-1. Project 941 is truly a gigantic submarine. Its length is 172 and its width is 23 m. 160 people serve on board.

You can see how different nuclear submarines are and how different their “contents” are. Now let’s take a closer look at several domestic submarines: boats of project 971, 949A and 955. All of these are powerful and modern submarines serving in the Russian Navy. The boats belong to three different types of nuclear submarines, which we discussed above:

Nuclear submarines are divided according to their purpose:

· SSBN (Strategic Missile Submarine Cruiser). As part of the nuclear triad, these submarines carry ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. The main targets of such ships are military bases and enemy cities. The SSBN includes the new Russian nuclear submarine 955 Borei. In America, this type of submarine is called SSBN (Ship Submarine Ballistic Nuclear): this includes the most powerful of these submarines - the Ohio-class boat. To accommodate the entire lethal arsenal on board, SSBNs are designed taking into account the requirements of a large internal volume. Their length often exceeds 170 m - this is noticeably longer than the length of multi-purpose submarines.

· PLAT (nuclear torpedo submarine). Such boats are also called multi-purpose. Their purpose: the destruction of ships, other submarines, tactical targets on the ground and the collection of intelligence data. They are smaller than SSBNs and have better speed and mobility. PLATs can use torpedoes or high-precision cruise missiles. Such nuclear submarines include the American Los Angeles or the Soviet/Russian MPLATRK Project 971 Shchuka-B.

The American Seawolf is considered the most advanced multi-purpose nuclear submarine. Her main feature – highest level stealth and deadly weapons on board. One such submarine carries up to 50 Harpoon or Tomahawk missiles. There are also torpedoes. Due to the high cost, the US Navy received only three of these submarines.

· SSGN (nuclear submarine with cruise missiles). This is the smallest group of modern nuclear submarines. This includes the Russian 949A Antey and some American Ohio missiles converted into cruise missile carriers. The SSGN concept has something in common with multi-purpose nuclear submarines. Submarines of the SSGN type, however, are larger - they are large floating underwater platforms with high-precision weapons. In the Soviet/Russian navy these boats are also called “aircraft carrier killers”.

Inside a submarine

It is difficult to examine in detail the design of all main types of nuclear submarines, but it is quite possible to analyze the design of one of these boats. It will be the Project 949A submarine “Antey”, a landmark (in every sense) for the Russian fleet. To increase survivability, the creators duplicated many important components of this nuclear submarine. These boats received a pair of reactors, turbines and propellers. The failure of one of them, according to the plan, should not be fatal for the boat. The submarine's compartments are separated by intercompartment bulkheads: they are designed for a pressure of 10 atmospheres and are connected by hatches that can be sealed if necessary. Not all domestic nuclear submarines have so many compartments. The Project 971 multipurpose nuclear submarine, for example, is divided into six compartments, and the new Project 955 SSBN is divided into eight.

The infamous Kursk belongs to the Project 949A boats. This submarine sank in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000. All 118 crew members on board became victims of the disaster. Many versions of what happened have been put forward: the most likely of all is the explosion of a 650 mm torpedo stored in the first compartment. According to the official version, the tragedy occurred due to a leak of a torpedo fuel component, namely hydrogen peroxide.

The Project 949A nuclear submarine has a very advanced (by the standards of the 80s) apparatus, including the MGK-540 Skat-3 hydroacoustic system and many other systems. The boat is also equipped with an automated Symphony-U navigation system that has increased accuracy, increased range and a large volume of processed information. Most of the information about all these complexes is kept secret.

Compartments of the Project 949A Antey nuclear submarine:

First compartment:

It is also called bow or torpedo. This is where the torpedo tubes are located. The boat has two 650 mm and four 533 mm torpedo tubes, and in total there are 28 torpedoes on board the submarine. The first compartment consists of three decks. The combat stock is stored on racks designed for this purpose, and torpedoes are fed into the apparatus using a special mechanism. There are also batteries located here, which are separated from the torpedoes by special flooring for safety reasons. The first compartment usually houses five crew members.

Second compartment:

This compartment on submarines of projects 949A and 955 (and not only on them) plays the role of the “brain of the boat”. This is where the central control panel is located, and this is where the submarine is controlled. There are consoles for hydroacoustic systems, microclimate regulators and navigation satellite equipment. There are 30 crew members serving in the compartment. From it you can get into the control room of the nuclear submarine, designed for monitoring the surface of the sea. There are also retractable devices: periscopes, antennas and radars.

Third compartment:

The third is the radio-electronic compartment. Here, in particular, there are multi-profile communication antennas and many other systems. The equipment of this compartment allows receiving target indications, including from space. After processing, the received information is entered into the ship's combat information and control system. Let us add that the submarine rarely makes contact, so as not to be unmasked.

Fourth compartment:

This compartment is residential. Here the crew not only sleeps, but also spends their free time. There is a sauna, gym, showers and a common area for communal relaxation. In the compartment there is a room that allows you to relieve emotional stress - for this, for example, there is an aquarium with fish. In addition, in the fourth compartment there is a galley, or, in simple terms, a nuclear submarine kitchen.

Fifth compartment:

There is a diesel generator that generates energy here. Here you can also see an electrolysis installation for air regeneration, high-pressure compressors, a shore power supply panel, diesel fuel and oil reserves.

5 bis:

This room is needed for decontamination of crew members who worked in the reactor compartment. We are talking about removing radioactive substances from surfaces and reducing radioactive contamination. Due to the fact that there are two fifths of the compartment, confusion often occurs: some sources claim that the nuclear submarine has ten compartments, others say nine. Even though the last compartment is the ninth, there are ten of them in total on the nuclear submarine (including 5 bis).

Sixth compartment:

This compartment, one might say, is located in the very center of the nuclear submarine. It is of particular importance, because it is here that two OK-650V nuclear reactors with a capacity of 190 MW are located. The reactor belongs to the OK-650 series - a series of water-cooled nuclear reactors using thermal neutrons. The role of nuclear fuel is played by uranium dioxide, highly enriched in the 235th isotope. The compartment has a volume of 641 m³. Above the reactor there are two corridors that allow access to other parts of the nuclear submarine.

Seventh compartment:

It is also called turbine. The volume of this compartment is 1116 m³. This room is intended for the main distribution board; power plants; emergency control panel for the main power plant; as well as a number of other devices that ensure the movement of the submarine.

Eighth compartment:

This compartment is very similar to the seventh, and is also called the turbine compartment. The volume is 1072 m³. The power plant can be seen here; turbines that drive nuclear submarine propellers; a turbogenerator that provides the boat with electricity, and water desalination plants.

Ninth compartment:

This is an extremely small shelter compartment, with a volume of 542 m³, with an escape hatch. This compartment, in theory, will allow crew members to survive in the event of a disaster. There are six inflatable rafts (each designed for 20 people), 120 gas masks and rescue kits for individual ascent. In addition, the compartment contains: steering system hydraulics; high pressure air compressor; electric motor control station; lathe; combat post for reserve rudder control; shower and food supply for six days.

Armament

Let us separately consider the armament of the Project 949A nuclear submarine. In addition to torpedoes (which we have already discussed), the boat carries 24 P-700 Granit anti-ship cruise missiles. These are rockets long range, which can fly along a combined trajectory of up to 625 km. To aim at a target, the P-700 has an active radar guidance head.

The missiles are located in special containers between the light and durable hulls of nuclear submarines. Their arrangement roughly corresponds to the central compartments of the boat: containers with missiles go on both sides of the submarine, 12 on each side. All of them are turned forward from the vertical at an angle of 40-45°. Each of these containers has a special lid that slides out during a rocket launch.

P-700 Granit cruise missiles are the basis of the arsenal of the Project 949A boat. Meanwhile, there is no real experience in using these missiles in combat, so it is difficult to judge the combat effectiveness of the complex. Tests have shown that due to the speed of the rocket (1.5-2.5 M), it is very difficult to intercept it. However, not everything is so simple. Over land, the missile is not capable of flying at low altitude, and therefore represents an easy target for weapons air defense enemy. At sea, the efficiency indicators are higher, but it is worth saying that the American aircraft carrier force (namely, the missile was created to fight them) has excellent air defense cover.

This type of weapon arrangement is not typical for nuclear submarines. On the American boat "Ohio", for example, ballistic or cruise missiles are located in silos running in two longitudinal rows behind a fence of retractable devices. But the multi-purpose Seawolf launches cruise missiles from torpedo tubes. In the same way, cruise missiles are launched from the domestic Project 971 Shchuka-B MPLATRK. Of course, all these submarines also carry various torpedoes. The latter are used to destroy submarines and surface ships.

Submarines are a special class of warships that, in addition to all the qualities of warships, have the ability to swim underwater, maneuvering along the course and depth. According to their design (Fig. 1.20), submarines are:

Single-hulled, having one strong hull, which ends at the bow and stern with well-streamlined ends of a lightweight design;
- half-hulled, having, in addition to a durable body, also a lightweight one, but not along the entire contour of the durable body;
- double-hulled, having two hulls - strong and lightweight, the latter completely encircling the perimeter of the strong one and extending the entire length of the boat. Currently, most submarines are double-hulled.

Rice. 1.20. Design types of submarines:
a - single-hull; b - one and a half hull; c - double-hull; 1 - durable body; 2 - conning tower; 3 - superstructure; 4 - keel; 5 - light body

Rugged housing- the main structural element of a submarine, ensuring its safe stay at maximum depth. It forms a closed volume, impenetrable to water. The space inside the pressure hull (Fig. 1.21) is divided by transverse waterproof bulkheads into compartments, which are named depending on the nature of the weapons and equipment located in them.

Rice. 1.21. longitudinal section of a diesel battery submarine:
1 - durable body; 2 - bow torpedo tubes; 3 - light body; bow torpedo compartment; 5 - torpedo loading hatch; 6 - superstructure; 7 - durable conning tower; 8 - cutting fence; 9 - retractable devices; 10 - entrance hatch; 11 - stern torpedo tubes; 12 - aft end; 13 - rudder blade; 14 - aft trim tank; 15 - end (aft) watertight bulkhead; 16 - aft torpedo compartment; 17 - internal waterproof bulkhead; 18 - compartment of the main propulsion electric motors and power station; 19 - ballast tank; 20 - engine compartment; 21 - fuel tank; 22, 26 - aft and bow groups of batteries; 23, 27 - team living quarters; 24 - central post; 25 - hold of the central post; 28 - bow trim tank; 29 - end (bow) waterproof bulkhead; 30 - nasal extremity; 31 - buoyancy tank.

Inside the durable hull are quarters for personnel, main and auxiliary mechanisms, weapons, various systems and devices, bow and stern groups of batteries, various supplies, etc. On modern submarines, the weight of the durable hull in the total weight of the ship is 16-25 %; in the weight of only hull structures - 50-65%.

The structurally sound hull consists of frames and plating. The frames, as a rule, have an annular shape and an elliptical shape at the ends and are made of profile steel. They are installed one from the other at a distance of 300-700 mm, depending on the design of the boat, both on the inside and outside of the hull skin, and sometimes in combination on both sides closely.

The shell of the durable hull is made from special rolled sheet steel and welded to the frames. The thickness of the skin sheets reaches up to 35 mm, depending on the diameter of the pressure hull and the maximum immersion depth of the submarine.

Bulkheads and pressure hulls are strong and light. Strong bulkheads divide the internal volume of modern submarines into 6-10 waterproof compartments and ensure the ship's underwater unsinkability. According to their location, they are internal and terminal; in shape - flat and spherical.

Light bulkheads are designed to ensure the ship's surface unsinkability. Structurally, bulkheads are made of frames and sheathing. A bulkhead set usually consists of several vertical and transverse posts (beams). The casing is made of sheet steel.

End watertight bulkheads are usually of equal strength to the strong hull and close it in the bow and stern parts. These bulkheads serve as rigid supports for torpedo tubes on most submarines.

The compartments communicate through watertight doors having a round or rectangular shape. These doors are equipped with quick-release locking devices.

In the vertical direction, the compartments are divided by platforms into upper and lower parts, and sometimes the boat’s rooms have a multi-tier arrangement, which increases the useful area of ​​the platforms per unit volume. The distance between the platforms “in the light” is made more than 2 m, i.e., slightly greater than the average height of a person.

In the upper part of the durable hull there is a strong (combat) deckhouse, which communicates through the deckhouse hatch with the central post, under which the hold is located. On most modern submarines, a strong deckhouse is made in the form of a round cylinder of small height. On the outside, the strong cabin and the devices located behind it, to improve flow around when moving in a submerged position, are covered with lightweight structures called the cabin fencing. The deckhouse casing is made of sheet steel of the same grade as the robust hull. The torpedo-loading and access hatches are also located at the top of the durable hull.

Tank tanks are designed for diving, surfacing, trimming a boat, as well as for storing liquid cargo. Depending on the purpose, there are tanks: main ballast, auxiliary ballast, ship stores and special ones. Structurally, they are either durable, that is, designed for maximum immersion depth, or lightweight, capable of withstanding pressure of 1-3 kg/cm2. They are located inside the strong body, between the strong and light body and at the extremities.

Keel - a welded or riveted beam of box-shaped, trapezoidal, T-shaped, and sometimes semi-cylindrical section, welded to the bottom of the boat hull. It is designed to enhance longitudinal strength, protect the hull from damage when placed on rocky ground and placed on a dock cage.

Light hull (Fig. 1.22) - a rigid frame consisting of frames, stringers, transverse impenetrable bulkheads and plating. It gives the submarine a well-streamlined shape. The light hull consists of an outer hull, bow and stern ends, deck superstructure, and wheelhouse fencing. The shape of the light hull is completely determined by the outer contours of the ship.

Rice. 1.22. Cross section of a one-and-a-half-hull submarine:
1 - navigation bridge; 2 - conning tower; 3 - superstructure; 4 - stringer; 5 - surge tank; 6 - reinforcing stand; 7, 9 - booklets; 8- platform; 10 - box-shaped keel; 11 - foundation of main diesel engines; 12 - casing of a durable hull; 13 - strong hull frames; 14 - main ballast tank; 15 - diagonal racks; 16 - tank cover; 17 - light hull lining; 18 - light hull frame; 19 - upper deck

The outer hull is the waterproof part of the lightweight hull located along the pressure hull. It encloses the pressure hull along the perimeter of the boat's cross-section from the keel to the top watertight stringer and extends the length of the ship from the fore to aft end bulkheads of the pressure hull. The ice belt of the light hull is located in the cruising waterline area and extends from the bow to the midsection; The width of the belt is about 1 g, the thickness of the sheets is 8 mm.

The ends of the light hull serve to streamline the contours of the bow and stern of the submarine and extend from the end bulkheads of the pressure hull to the stem and sternpost, respectively.

The bow end houses: bow torpedo tubes, main ballast and buoyancy tanks, a chain box, an anchor device, hydroacoustic receivers and emitters. Structurally, it consists of cladding and a complex set system. Made from sheet steel of the same quality as the outer casing.

The stem is a forged or welded beam that provides rigidity to the bow edge of the boat hull.

At the aft end (Fig. 1.23) there are located: aft torpedo tubes, main ballast tanks, horizontal and vertical rudders, stabilizers, propeller shafts with mortars.

Rice. 1.23. Diagram of stern protruding devices:
1 - vertical stabilizer; 2 - vertical steering wheel; 3 - propeller; 4 - horizontal steering wheel; 5 - horizontal stabilizer

Sternpost - a beam of complex cross-section, usually welded; provides rigidity to the aft edge of the submarine hull.

Horizontal and vertical stabilizers provide stability to the submarine when moving. Propeller shafts pass through horizontal stabilizers (with a two-shaft power plant), at the ends of which propellers are installed. Aft horizontal rudders are installed behind the propellers in the same plane with the stabilizers.

Structurally, the aft end consists of a frame and plating. The set is made of stringers, frames and simple frames, platforms and bulkheads. The casing is of equal strength to the outer casing.

Superstructure(Fig. 1.24) is located above the upper waterproof stringer of the outer hull and extends along the entire length of the durable hull, passing beyond its limits at the tip. Structurally, the superstructure consists of sheathing and frame. The superstructure contains various systems, devices, bow horizontal rudders, etc.

Rice. 1.24. Submarine superstructure:
1 - booklets; 2 - holes in the deck; 3 - superstructure deck; 4 - side of the superstructure; 5 - scuppers; 6- pillers; 7 - tank cover; 8 - casing of a durable hull; 9 - strong hull frame; 10 - light hull lining; 11 - waterproof stringer of the outer casing; 12 - light hull frame; 13 - superstructure frame

Retractable devices(Fig. 1.25). A modern submarine has a large number of different devices and systems that ensure control of its maneuvers, use of weapons, survivability, normal operation of the power plant and other technical means in different conditions swimming.

Rice. 1.25. Retractable devices and systems of a submarine:
1 - periscope; 2 - radio antennas (retractable); 3 - radar antennas; 4 - air shaft for diesel operation under water (RDP); 5 - RDP exhaust device; 6 - radio antenna (collapsing)

Such devices and systems, in particular, include: radio antennas (retractable and retractable), exhaust device for diesel operation under water (RDP), RDP air shaft, radar antennas, periscopes, etc.

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British Navy submarine HMS Upholder ("Ally")

Submarines float on the water surface without any difficulty. But unlike all other ships, they can sink to the bottom of the ocean and, in some cases, swim in its depths for months. The whole secret is that the submarine has a unique double-hull design.

Between its outer and inner buildings there are special compartments, or ballast tanks, which can be filled with sea water. At the same time, the total weight of the submarine increases and, accordingly, its buoyancy, that is, the ability to float on the surface, decreases. The boat moves forward due to the operation of the propeller, and horizontal rudders, called hydroplanes, help it dive.

The submarine's internal steel hull is designed to withstand enormous water pressure, which increases with depth. When submerged, trim tanks located along the keel help keep the ship stable. If it is necessary to surface, then the submarine is emptied of water, or, as they say, the ballast tanks are purged. The submarine is helped to follow the desired course by such navigational aids as periscopes, radar, (radar), sonar (sonar) and satellite systems communications.

In the image above, a cross-section of the 2,455-ton, 232-foot-long British attack submarine can travel at 20 mph. While the boat is at the surface, its diesel engines generate electricity. This energy is stored in batteries and then used in scuba diving. Nuclear submarines use nuclear fuel to turn water into superheated steam to run its steam turbines.

How does a submarine sink and surface?

When a submarine is on the surface, it is said to be in a state of positive buoyancy. Then its ballast tanks are mostly filled with air (near picture on the right). When submerged (middle picture on the right), the ship becomes negatively buoyant as air from the ballast tanks exits through the release valves and the tanks are filled with water through the water intake ports. To move at a certain depth while submerged, submarines use a balancing technique where compressed air is pumped into ballast tanks while the water intake ports are left open. At the same time, the desired state of neutral buoyancy occurs. To ascend (far right), water is pushed out of the ballast tanks using compressed air stored on board.

There is little free space on the submarine. In the top picture, the sailors are eating in the wardroom. In the upper right corner is an American submarine on the surface. On the right in the photo is a cramped cockpit where submariners sleep.

Clean air underwater

On most modern submarines, fresh water is made from sea water. And stocks fresh air also done on board - decomposing fresh water using electrolysis and releasing oxygen from it. When the submarine cruises near the surface, it uses hooded snorkels - devices placed above the water - to take in fresh air and throw out exhaust air. In this position, above the conning tower, the boats are in the air, in addition to snorkels, a periscope, a radio communication antenna and other superstructure elements. The air quality on the submarine is monitored daily to ensure proper oxygen levels. All air passes through a scrubber, or scrubber, to remove contaminants. Exhaust gases exit through a separate pipeline.

The Project 949A nuclear submarine (code “Antey”) was created on the basis of Project 949 by inserting an additional compartment (fifth) to accommodate new equipment for ease of layout. Its appearance is very remarkable - leaving the strong hull cylindrical throughout, and placing the launchers on the sides, between the strong and light hulls, the designers received a very “broad-shouldered” boat, which in photographs from bow angles resembles a loaf. On the prototype - Project 661, in the area of ​​missile silos, the cross-section of the body had a figure-eight shape.

Brief characteristics of Project 949 (“Granite”, first two hulls): surface displacement - 12,500 tons, full underwater - 22,500 tons, dimensions - 144 x 18 x 9.2 m, surface speed - 16 knots, underwater - 32 knots, power - 98000 hp Crew - 94 people.

The main characteristics of the modernized project 949A are as follows: surface displacement - 14820 tons, full surface displacement - 15100 tons, underwater - 19254 tons, full submerged (taking into account the volume of the light hull) - 25650 tons, which is only 1000 tons less than that of the surface heavy ones nuclear cruisers like "Kirov"! The buoyancy reserve is 29.9%; the boat retains surface (not underwater) buoyancy when one compartment is flooded. Total length - 154.8 m, width - exactly 18 m, draft in cruising position with the bow - 9.1 m, amidships - 9.3 m and stern - 9.5 m, height from the keel to the top of the deckhouse fence - 18, 3 m. The length of the light hull is 151.8 m. The width of the boat along the stern horizontal rudders is 22 m, along the horizontal rudders (in the extended position) - 24 m.

The durable hull of the boat, 122 m long, is divided into 10 compartments, has a variable diameter, is designed for a maximum diving depth of 600 meters, beyond which the hull is destroyed (the thickness of the strong walls made of AK-33 steel was from 45 to 68 mm), the working depth is 480 m. The end bulkheads of the durable hull are cast, spherical, the bow radius is 8 m, the stern radius is 6.5 m. The transverse bulkheads are flat, between the first and second, as well as between the fourth and fifth compartments, designed for a pressure of 40 atmospheres and have a thickness of up to 20 mm. Thus, the boat is divided into three compartments - shelters for accidents at depths of up to 400 meters: if part of the durable hull is flooded, people in this case have a chance to escape either in the first compartment, or in the second or third, or in the aft compartments. During the Kursk accident, this is what happened - moreover, the bulkhead of the aft compartment-shelter withstood the main blow from the explosion! The remaining bulkheads inside the rescue zones are designed for 10 atmospheres (for a depth of no more than 100 meters).

FIRST COMPARTMENT: divided into three tiers by platforms. Below, in the hold, there is an EXA-25 high-pressure air compressor (HPA), fans and, in a special enclosure, a bow battery (112 elements of product 440). Above them is a gas-tight flooring designed for a pressure of 0.1 atm. On the second deck there are equipment racks for SJSC Skat-3 (the main volume), an air-foam fire extinguishing station (AFF) and volumetric chemical fire extinguishing station (VOC), and ladders.

Here, along the sides, there are entrance hatches into special boules (strong enclosures overboard), in which the drives of the bow horizontal rudders are located. Between the second deck and the torpedo compartment there is a platform designed for 5 atmospheres, in fact it is like a horizontal bulkhead for a depth of 50 meters! As we can see, an ordinary fire cannot spread from the interdeck volume either up or down, and the design is thought out so that even in the event of a hypothetical hydrogen explosion in the battery, the torpedo compartment will not be affected.

There are only 6 (six) torpedo tubes. Of these, two are with a caliber of 650 mm (the lower ones are internal, although they are sometimes stated to be external) and four with a caliber of 533 mm (two on top, two on the edges). The Leningrad-949 automated torpedo-missile system consists of a TA, a Grinda launcher, a torpedo-loading device (with a hatch in the forward bulkhead of a pressure hull, 800 mm in diameter), a UBZ and three-tier racks with torpedoes and missiles. The last point, taking into account the explosion of ammunition on the Kursk, is of some interest. So, according to the design, in the absence of torpedoes, the torpedo compartment can be loaded with only 28 (twenty-eight) missile-torpedoes of types 83-R (10), 84-R missiles (8), 10 (ten) missile-torpedoes 86-R (6 ) and 88-R missiles (4). The torpedo version is loaded with 18 USET-80 and 10 type 65-76A, for a total of 28 units of ammunition, of which, naturally, six are in torpedo tubes. In a mixed version, the project can accept 16 (or 12) USET-80 torpedoes, two (or 6) 86-R missile torpedoes and ten 83-R. Receiving and laying mines is not provided. TA No. 5 and 6 (650 mm) can serve as emergency exits.

Torpedo tubes and the torpedoes themselves are durable structures - torpedoes can be fired at depths of up to 480 meters at speeds from 13 knots (type 65-76A) to 18 knots (USET-80), and protection against involuntary explosion on torpedoes for more than 100 Over the years of their use, they have been brought to perfection: now they have systems that do not allow homing at a firing boat (the torpedo in this case is self-flooding), in addition, torpedoes fall during loading, people sleep on them, alcohol is drained from them, etc. and yet they do not explode. There were cases when boats at full speed, hitting underwater obstacles, crushed their bows, and torpedo tubes, and the torpedoes in them - and nothing, they came to the bases. On the other hand, there was a case of ammunition explosion in Polyarny, January 11, 1962, during a fire in the bow compartment of the diesel submarine B-37. The boat just had two bow compartments torn off...

The fast loading device allows you to replace ammunition in torpedo tubes in 5 minutes. Torpedo type 65-76A (code “Kit”) was put into service in 1976, anti-ship, long-range, low-water hydrogen peroxide (kerosene fuel), caliber 650 mm, length 11 m, speed 50 knots, range 50 km. Torpedo mass - 4650 kg, explosive weight - 530 kg. There is an option with a nuclear warhead (without homing), but according to the 1989 treaty, such torpedoes were removed from service. For the same reason, there are no VA-111 Shkval missiles in the arsenal.

The USET-80 torpedo has been in service since 1980, universal, electric, homing, caliber 533 mm, search speed - 18 knots, maximum speed - 50 knots, range 15 km. Torpedo mass - 1800 kg, length - 7.8 m, explosive weight - 290 kg. According to the design, it has silver-zinc batteries, but the Kursk had an experimental torpedo with a cheaper power plant. It would be worth noting that these torpedoes have significantly better characteristics than foreign ones, and the 65-76A has no analogues at all.

The 83-R Vodopad missile torpedo (URPK-6) has a caliber of 533 mm, a length of 8.2 m, a firing range of 50 km, and a small-sized torpedo UMGT-1 is installed as the warhead. 86-R “Wind” (URPK-7) is approximately the same, only its caliber is 650 mm, the firing range is 110 km, the launch depth is twice as large, and the USET-80 torpedo is used as a warhead. The 84-R and 88-R complexes are a modification of the Vodopad and Veter missile torpedoes, with a nuclear depth charge installed as the warhead. Obviously, there were no tactical nuclear warheads on the Kursk for the reason stated above.

The solid propellant missiles of these complexes are launched from under water, adjusted by the on-board inertial system, according to data previously established from the BIUS, in given point the torpedo (or depth charge) is separated, splashed down by parachute, after which the parachute is fired, the bomb dives to a certain depth (about 200 m) and explodes there, and the torpedo begins searching and homing on the target.

The total volume of the compartment is 1157 m 3 . According to combat readiness, there are 5 people in compartment No. 1 according to the schedule - in the aft part, on the left side there is a service room for the commander of the warhead-3 (ammunition reloading control post), and on the starboard side, through the partition, there is a bulkhead door to the second compartment.

SECOND COMPARTMENT: has four decks. On the top there is the main command post with an abundance of consoles: “Korund” on the starboard side - a control post for the rudders, consoles for the GAS “Harp”, “Omnibus”, “Grinda”, “Molybdenum” for controlling general ship systems, a control center console, the main air console, posts of watch officer and mechanical engineer. In the aft bulkhead -

hatch into the third compartment, next to the LOX station, the commander’s traveling cabin. From the main command post it is possible to conduct observation through two periscopes - bow (commander's PZKE-11 "Lebed") and stern (navigator's, "Signal-3"). Project 949A submarines are armed with a high-precision navigation system UNK-90-949A “Symphony” (on the first boats - “Bear”), with a KPF-ZK receiver indicator and a KPI-7F direction finder, a navigation system for reference to hydroacoustic beacons-responders SNP-3 , echo sounders of the NEL-2 and NEL-5 types, the ADK-ZM (or ADK-4M) and AVK-73 space system, the GKU-1M gyrocompass, the KM-145-P2 magnetic compass, the “Stellite” and “Scandium” inertial systems, lags LKP-1 and “Boxwood”, closed to the Struna Central Exhibition Complex. There is also a vestibule and a ladder that leads to the upper deckhouse hatch (or rather, to the pop-up rescue chamber).

The crew enters and exits through the VSK under normal conditions; in an emergency, its capacity is 107 people. This, in fact, is itself an ultra-small durable submarine with low autonomy. It has a NC, air, batteries, a radio transmitter, and can be ventilated using a manual drive. The pop-up chamber is attached with its coaming using a ratchet connector to the coaming of a durable hull, and a waterproof gateway (pre-chamber) is created between it and the ship. To separate the pop-up chamber, after placing the crew in it, it is necessary to close and batten down the lower deckhouse hatch and the lower hatch of the VSK, manually release the stopper, deploy the ratchet ring using pneumatics or manually, fill the pre-chamber with water, and, if necessary, supply air to the pneumatic pushers for the final separation of the VSK from the boat . According to the combat schedule, there are 30 people in the compartment.

At the aft bulkhead of the second compartment there is a ladder down to the second deck, which is occupied by the Struna Central Exhibition Complex (consisting of several computers) and the MVU-132 Omnibus BIUS. There are also air conditioners, microclimate devices and the main hatch into the third compartment.

On the third deck there is a gyropost and posts of the Granit complex. For the convenience of organizing pre-launch preparation of missiles (there are 24 of them) and “unloading” the central military complex, it was decided to divide the ship’s launch system into circuits (3 salvos - 3 circuits). This triple duplication dramatically increased the flexibility and survivability of the system, reduced the time for preparing and entering data, and thus made it possible to fire at various targets simultaneously. Even with damage, failures and errors, one circuit will survive in any case, and the missiles will fly out and find who they need. Of course, there is also a manual data entry channel for extreme cases. In general, there are eight different combat circuits on the boat.

On the fourth deck, near the bow bulkhead, there is a large gas-tight enclosure for battery No. 2. Both batteries have a capacity of 10,500 ampere/hour at a 3-hour discharge, and 15,000 ampere/hour at a 100-hour discharge. Nearby is an air conditioning enclosure, a battery pit station with instruments for monitoring gas composition, ventilation mode, etc., a provision room for dry products, and a fresh water tank. To provide the crew with fresh water, there are four PS-2 type desalination plants with a capacity of 620 liters per hour. Total compartment volume - 1025 m 3 .

THIRD COMPARTMENT: radio-electronic systems. It contains all the main retractable devices. Immediately behind the bow bulkhead is the antenna post Z-KR-01 shaft for receiving target designation from the Legend space system or from an aircraft observation point. Behind it is an air shaft for the RCP - the device for operating the compressor under

water. Next is the “Coral-B” binding radar antenna, followed by the “Radian” radar of the MRKP-59 radar complex, the “Anis” VHF communication antenna, the “Kora-Shtyr” long-range communication antenna, the “Zone” radio reconnaissance antenna (direction finder) and in at the stern is the Sintez space communications antenna (all communications equipment is combined into a single Molniya complex). In addition, the MTK-110 television system is connected, which allows, under certain conditions, to see underwater at depths of 50-60 meters. Naturally, in the hold there are tanks and hydraulic pumps that raise and lower all these retractable devices. The fluid used in the hydraulic system is completely non-flammable. A small nuance - the lifting of the retractable devices occurs on command from the CPU, but in a controlled situation they are lowered automatically, at a depth of 50 meters.

So, the center line of all decks of the third compartment resembles a forest: it is occupied by steel trunks of retractable devices. In addition, on the 1st deck, on the left side, there are radio communication rooms, on the right side there is a reserve command post, which, for efficiency, has a hatch in the control room of the second compartment. Next comes the hydroacoustics cabin and the radio reconnaissance cabin; at the aft bulkhead on the left side is the radiometer cabin. On the second deck on the starboard side is the watch compartment post, behind it is the commander’s cabin, then the hatch into the 4th compartment, on the port side is the Coral post with air conditioning, at the aft bulkhead of the third compartment is the chemical service post and the LOH station. On alert, there are 24 people in the compartment.

Down the ladder you can get to the third deck, where on the left side there are communication posts, including a classified one, a latrine and washbasin are located at the aft bulkhead of the compartment, and in the free areas there are cabins (the commander of the warhead-5, one officer’s cabin and three midshipmen ). On the fourth deck, as already mentioned, there are hydraulic systems, including an autonomous one, with their own tanks and drives, for opening the outer shields and covers of missile containers. The hydraulic steering system is also autonomous. The hold is occupied by drainage and drainage lines, a cooling system, and there is also a main drainage pump TsN-279 (there are also four drainage pumps of the TsN-294 type and two ENA-4 types). The total volume of the compartment is 956 m 3 .

FOURTH COMPARTMENT: residential, it can be accessed both from the third compartment (along the second deck) and through the entrance hatch, which goes upstairs to the aft part of the wheelhouse (or, more correctly, the fence of the retractable devices). On the first deck on the port side from bow to stern there is a quartermaster and cooks' cabin, then a latrine with a washbasin, a medical isolation room, an outpatient clinic, cabins for sailors and midshipmen. On the starboard side there is a gangway down, a secret part and then five cabins for midshipmen and sailors. According to the staff, there are 43 officers on the boat, 37 midshipmen, 5 foremen and 21 privates, that is, 106 people. Autonomy - 120 days. The maximum time spent under water (with a working nuclear power plant, but only with air regeneration, without ventilation) is 2880 hours.

On the second deck of the fourth compartment, to the right of the entrance hatch, there are ladders up and down, then there is a large and comfortable officers' cabin with a pantry and a sink, behind it along the corridor there are two blocks of officer's cabins, at the aft bulkhead there is a watch compartment post and a LOCH station. The basis of the chemical volumetric fire extinguishing system in cramped compartments is freon-114V-2 (or freon). When extinguishing, freons stop combustion, reducing the activity of oxygen, or even completely binding it. Freons in their pure form are inert, do not conduct electricity, have an increased ability to extinguish, but are toxic, especially after combustion. The liquid is located in the tank; in the event of a fire and a decision is made to use LOX, compressed air is supplied from the central station through pipelines through spray nozzles. In case of timely application, fire extinguishing is guaranteed. The second system, VPL, extinguishes an open fire with an air-foam mixture, but it cannot eliminate the fire of regeneration or two-component torpedo fuel. There are a total of 10 LOH stations and 2 IDPs on the boat.

Along the walls of the durable building are instruments and installations for maintaining the microclimate in the missile silos where Granit missiles are stored.

The third deck of the 4th compartment consists of two compartments: the bow is occupied by officer cabins with a small shower for personnel, a dining room for midshipmen and sailors, as well as a television center with a video recorder, an audio center and a remote control for broadcasting to the cabins. Through a light vestibule there is a passage to the aft compartment - a recreation area. Such zones are available only on two projects - 941 and 949 (on other boats in a truncated version), it is thanks to them that more than 80 days of scuba diving became possible. Firstly, there is a gym with exercise equipment, a wall bars, a bicycle ergometer, a photo booth, opposite the gym there is a steam room, a shower and a swimming pool (usually for it sea ​​water taken from a depth of at least 250 meters), quite roomy, which “sticks out” onto the lower deck. Secondly, there is a large screen with replaceable slides, which depicts nature and various scenes with sound design, on special shelves - plants that are cultivated hydroponically, cages with canaries and aquariums, a slot machine, a TV, and a breeze can be simulated.

The fourth deck is not so fun, but there is also enough of everything: devices for throwing garbage overboard (DUK) pass through the hold through a durable hull, next to it there is a galley, next to it there is a two-level refrigerated provision tank, and the rest of the free space is filled with URM carbon dioxide absorption devices, which can be found, although not in such quantities, in other compartments (there are 200-210 such cartridges on the boat, under certain conditions they burn and explode). Air regeneration and purification systems are also duplicated (“Sorbent”, “Jute”, “Kizil” and others), there are seven types of gas monitoring devices with alarm systems, so an explosion of oxygen or hydrogen is practically excluded. In the hold there are various systems, pumps, lines, pipelines. On alert, there are 8 people in the compartment. The total volume of the compartment is 1487 m 3 .

FIFTH COMPARTMENT: auxiliary mechanisms. On the first deck there is a compressor of the AEKS-7.5 high-pressure system and bow ring fans, as well as the exhaust line (gas outlet) of the diesel generator. On the second deck, in the enclosure, there is an 800 kW diesel generator ASDG-800/1 and switchboards. The total supply of diesel fuel is 43 tons, diesel oil is 4.5 tons. Here on the starboard side there is a passage and inter-compartment hatches. On the third deck there is a shore power panel (AC 380 V, 50 Hz, 1500 kW, 220 V, 400 Hz, 50 kW and DC 175-320 V). In a special room, with a separate exit to compartment 4, there is a control post for the power plant, with control panels for the Onega and Hurricane power systems. On the fourth deck and in the hold, in addition to drainage pumps and compressors, there is a K-4 electrolysis unit for oxygen production. The first generation boats did not yet have such an installation; regenerative cartridges were used, which, when combined with dirt and especially engine oil, caught fire and served as the source of most fires.

An electrolysis plant splits water into oxygen and hydrogen. The second is removed overboard by a special compressor, and the first in a volume of about 250 liters per hour is supplied to the compartments. The percentage of air inside the boat should be 19-21%, and before the fire on Komsomolets 23% was allowed, that is, 2% higher than in earth's atmosphere. At lower limits the crew will feel unwell; if the content is higher, the risk of fire increases. If oxygen and hydrogen somehow combine in the air, an explosive explosive mixture is formed. Such explosions have happened, although they do not cause catastrophic destruction. According to the combat schedule, there are 11 people in the compartment. The total volume of the compartment is 616 m 3 .

FIFTH ENCORE COMPARTMENT: also auxiliary mechanisms; a lot of equipment is duplicated in them. On the upper deck there are switchboards, a backup communication post (without its own antennas), on the second deck there is a K-4 electrolysis unit, an ASDG-800/2 diesel generator in an enclosure, compressors, a diesel generator panel, a DC electric welding network rectifier, a JIOX station, a URM , in the aft part there is a vestibule with a shower. Such vestibules are designed to allow exit through them from the compartment with the resulting radioactivity. Here, in this case, decontamination of personnel is organized, and water is supplied from all sides.

On the third deck there is a reversible converter and a small smoking room. On the fourth are pumps of the ship's general hydraulic system with communications and pipelines, as well as tanks. On alert, there are 4 people in the compartment. The total volume of the compartment is 628 m 3 .

SIXTH COMPARTMENT: reactor It has two corridors - the right and left sides, in which there are racks of the control system, shut-off fans and air conditioners. The right corridor has intercompartment hatches at the bow and stern, as well as windows for inspecting equipment enclosures. From both corridors, you can go down ladders to the pumping rooms, which occupy a volume along the entire corridor; between them there are equipment enclosures, above which, in turn, there are compressor rooms. The corridors on the right and left sides are connected by a transition corridor running across the compartment, under the elevated flooring of which there are fans of the middle ventilation ring. With their help, you can purify contaminated air in the reactor compartment.

There are two airlock vestibules (with sealed entrances) for servicing the reactors; in the compressor rooms there are duplicated vacuum pumps, make-up pumps, and steam sampling equipment.

Nuclear reactors type OK-650M.01, on the latest boats OK-650.02 (bow - starboard side, stern - left side) are not only the most important part of the ship’s equipment, but also one of the most reliable, with a service life of the main equipment of up to 50,000 hours . The total supply of nuclear fuel is 115 kg, which, with 36% enrichment of uranium-235, amounts to a colossal energy reserve of 1,140,000 mW, the life of the reactor core is 60,000 hours. As is known, to safely shut down the process, it is necessary to dampen the core with neutron absorbers and ensure cooling of the internal cavity of the reactor and fuel elements. Even during the development of reactor protection systems, an indispensable condition was set that the drives of emergency protection and compensating grids (absorbers) ensure their lowering “self-propelled” at a certain speed, even when the electric motors are de-energized. Self-braking links were eliminated from the drives, and the grille was spring-loaded. With this system, after a power outage, the reactor is automatically shut down, even if the ship capsizes.

To prevent further overheating of the reactor in the event of an emergency blackout of the pumps, it was necessary to ensure natural circulation of the primary circuit water, with its gradual cooling, to remove residual heat from the fuel rods by battery-free cooling. Reducing the number of steam generator housings from four to two, as well as the use of straight-tube elements instead of coils in combination with a piping system, solved this problem. The sub-block space can be inspected using a special television system.

In general, no one needs to “jam” anything. According to the combat schedule, there are 5 people in the compartment. The total volume of the compartment is 641 m 3 .

SEVENTH COMPARTMENT: turbine, they enter it through the reactor compartment, enter a niche, then go up a ladder to the first deck, which is a gas-tight flooring through which you can go down to the turbines through a vestibule-lock. Along the passage there is an emergency control panel for the power plant (on the port side near the aft bulkhead), a main switchboard with a main switchboard for non-switchable loads, and a LOX station. For the first time on these boats, static rectifiers were included in the electrical power system, which made it possible to stop reversible converters in the main operating modes of the main power plant. At the same time, a standby mode was provided to ensure the readiness of the reversible converters for automatic start-up and load acceptance after loss of power from the main turbogenerators. This “find” helped extend the life of many devices and, most importantly, reduce the number of simultaneously noisy mechanisms.

The remaining volume below the gas-tight flooring (designed for a pressure of 0.1 atm) is occupied by the Sapphire GTZA type OK-9DM on the starboard side, with a power of 50,000 hp, as well as a steam ejector refrigeration machine and evaporator. In the same compartment there is a power station with a capacity of 3200 kW from a turbogenerator. Starting from the stern, the unit includes a release clutch, a gearbox, a forward turbine, a reverse turbine, an auxiliary electric motor clutch and the PG-160 electric motor itself with 475 hp. Powered by diesel generators and propulsion engines, the boat can travel at a speed of 5 knots for 500 miles. Under the turbines at full power, the surface speed is 15.4 knots (supercritical), the underwater speed is 33.5 knots. With the antennas and devices extended, the boat should not travel more than 9 knots, otherwise you can simply bend them all. In addition, at periscope depth cavitation may begin around the propellers, so the number of revolutions is limited to 60. At a depth of 100 meters, for the same reasons, it is possible to develop no more than 21 knots at 127 revolutions.

On alert, there are 9 people in the compartment. The total volume of the compartment is 1116 m 3 .

EIGHTH COMPARTMENT: turbine, mirror identical to the seventh (on alarm, 7 people serve). Turbines and other critical mechanisms have shock absorption and insulation systems to reduce noise; titanium alloys are widely used to save weight; BPTUs are designed for shock loads corresponding to the parameters of underwater nuclear explosion. The safe radius for Project 949A during a nuclear underwater explosion with a power of 10 kT in a shock wave is 1100 m (for the pressure hull and main devices) and 1300 m (for the main power plant). The destruction radius is taken as 80% of the safe radius.

Propeller shafts with a diameter of 950 mm have a complex system of protection against jamming at great depths (during compression), back-out stern tube bushings, enter a durable housing through mortars and transmit all their colossal force at full speed to thrust bearings. Even with a very strong oncoming impact, it is unlikely that the shafts can move the Mitchell bearings without completely destroying the bulkhead (and these bulkheads remained relatively intact). The total volume of the compartment is 1072 m 3 .

NINTH COMPARTMENT: auxiliary mechanisms, the smallest in volume (542 m3), has only two decks. The first is occupied by pumps and hydraulic tanks of the steering system, a high-pressure air compressor, and a VPL feed station. On the starboard side there is also a water softening laboratory. In the forward part of the compartment along the DP there is a ladder for climbing into the emergency rescue hatch. In the aft part there is a combat post for reserve control of the rudders from a local post in case of failure of the control system from the Korund CPU. In the space between the first and second decks there are, with a slight camber, two lines of propeller shafts, between them there is an EXA-25 type VVD compressor (AEKS-7.5 on top). There is a lathe. On the left side there is a latrine and a small shower; in the hold there is a provision tank and hydraulic cylinders for steering gears to drive vertical rudders (there are only three of them), as well as small tanks. On alert, there must be 3 people in the compartment. Of the life-saving devices on the boat, there are 6 inflatable rafts (each for 20 people), 120 gas masks and SSP sets, 53 insulating gas masks IP-6 (you can be in them under water) and others, such as RM-2, KZM, shoe covers, gloves and etc. A six-day emergency supply of food is stored in all compartments in special sealed tanks.

INTERCORE SPACE. The VVD-400 high-pressure air cylinders are mainly located here, which allows the boat to float by blowing ballast tanks from a depth of less than 399 meters (deeper air simply cannot squeeze out water), the total air supply is 128 cubic meters. There are 25 ballast tanks in total, the time for an urgent dive from the periscope position is 2 minutes 15 seconds. When designing, the kingless system was adopted as a simpler one; the external scuppers in the submerged position are closed with covers to reduce noise and improve streamlining. For emergency ascent from great depths, a system with powder generators installed in several tanks is used. All external structures have ice reinforcements.

The robust housing has 1,400 different openings for the exit of water and air lines, input cables; above the reactor compartment there is a loading hatch with a diameter of 1 meter, and slightly smaller hatches for reloading batteries.

In the bow of the light hull, a significant volume is allocated for the hydroacoustic antenna of the Skat-3 MGK-540 hydroacoustic antenna. The complex is designed for continuous illumination of the underwater situation and recording of surface targets and consists of a large number of devices and stations: the NOR-1 flood detector, the MG-519 “Arfa” mine detection station, the emergency responder station to the request of the search and rescue vessel MGS-30, navigation circular detector NOK-1, MG-512 (“Screw”), MG-518 (“Sever” echo ice meter), MG-543. All these tools make it possible to automatically detect, find and track all kinds of targets (up to 30 simultaneously) in wide- and narrow-band direction finding modes in the high-frequency, sound and infrasound ranges. There is a towed low-frequency receiving antenna, released from the top tube on the aft stabilizer (installed from the second hull), as well as receivers located on the sides of the light hull. The range of the SAC is up to 220 km. The main mode is passive, but there is the possibility of automated detection, measurement of distance, heading angle and distance to the target in active mode (echo signal). A demagnetizing device is installed along the lightweight body.

In the massive cabin (fence) 29 meters long there are, as already mentioned, shafts of retractable devices, a pop-up rescue chamber, as well as two exits; in the aft part of the fence there are two VIPS devices - a kind of small torpedo tubes for firing hydroacoustic countermeasures devices. From building 12, the installation of a durable container with anti-aircraft missiles type "Igla" for self-defense against anti-submarine aircraft and other improvements. In the navy, such boats are called 949AM. The light hull and especially the wheelhouse have ice reinforcements to break through the ice hole in the event of ascent.

Behind the wheelhouse under the covers there are two pop-up antennas - “Zalom” (on the first two hulls - “Paravan”) for receiving and transmitting radio signals and “Swallow” (on the first “Zubatka”), designed for receiving ultra-low-frequency signals under water and even under ice , at depths up to 120 meters. Closer to the stern there is an emergency buoy B-600, which is issued from the central post. At the same time, the Paris system manages to enter into the transmitter the coordinates of the buoy’s release location, which, after surfacing in free floating, broadcasts these coordinates. Previously, when the diving depths of boats were shallow, everything was simpler: the buoy was released on a cable with a cable, a lamp was blinking, a radio beacon was working, in the dry compartment of the buoy there was a telephone through which it was possible to communicate with the compartments. This had to be abandoned - what volume and weight is needed for a buoy so that when it floats up, it lifts 600 meters of rope and cable!

Just in front of the aft stabilizer, above the emergency hatch, there is a landing ring for docking with autonomous vehicles that are available in the Navy's MSS.

In the bow there is an anchor device with an AS-17 anchor (setting depth in the surface position is up to 60 meters), a towing device (ADU), retractable mooring devices, spiers, bollards, bale strips, and views are installed under the superstructure deck. There are “Epron” hatches with the letter “E.”, under which there are valves connecting to the boat’s medium-pressure air line, which makes it possible to blow out ballast tanks at shallow depths or supply air to the compartments, as well as access to special lifting rods (SHU-device). 400), designed for a force of 400 tons. A rigid handrail is stretched along the entire deck, to which they are fastened with special carbines during deck work at sea.

Special mention should be made about the propellers, and in principle, about the entire aft end: even during the design process we had to look for the optimal contours of the stern, and as a result we chose a bifurcated one. Although according to calculations, the speed was reduced by 0.3 knots, the uniformity of the oncoming flow to the propellers was ensured, which reduced noise by 20%. Moreover, by and large, each boat has its own stern. At first, low-noise five-bladed propellers with a moderate saber shape were used; on order 606, coaxial four-bladed ones of the “tandem” type were installed, then they experimented with devices that straightened the water flow, and eventually settled on seven-bladed propellers with saber-shaped blades with a diameter of 4.8 m. They spent a long time searching for the optimal “ low-noise" shape of water intakes for cooling devices in turbine compartments and even moved them. As a result, the measures taken resulted in a noise reduction of 15 decibels.

Anti-radiation and sonar (including non-resonant) hull coatings of the “Fin” and “Pantsyr” types play a major role in reducing physical fields.

The largest volume in the inter-hull space is occupied by the SM-225 silos and launchers for Granit missiles. There are 24 of them in total, 12 on one side; according to the state, four missiles must be with nuclear warheads. The shafts are located in a row, one after another, at an angle of 40 degrees. The launch is made from a depth of up to 50 meters, at a speed of up to 5 knots. First, the outer shields-fairings are opened (towards the DP), then in the silos where the missiles are intended for firing, the pressure is equalized with water, the covers are opened and, with an interval of 5 seconds, the “Granites” are launched from under the water. As is known, placing cruise missile installations outside the durable hull increased the safety of the boat as a whole, each warhead contained 900 kg of explosives, and if such a quantity of explosives had detonated, there would simply be nothing left of the boat.