EP0414867B1 - Process for operating submerged submarines and submarine - Google Patents

Abstract

A process and a device are useful for operating submerged submarines (10) which leave behind a wake of heated cooling water as they dive. To this end, either the density of the heated cooling water is increased by admixing additives or the heated cooling water is brought to a depth far below the submarine by mechanical means.

Description

The invention relates to a method for operating submerged submarines, in which cooling water is heated during operation and the heated cooling water is released to the surrounding sea at a depth that is secure against detection by infrared sensors.

The invention further relates to a submarine, in the operation of which heats cooling water and the heated cooling water is released to the surrounding sea at a depth which is secure against detection by infrared sensors.

A method and a submarine of the aforementioned type are known from document DE-C-3 634 936.

In the known submarine, a heat accumulator is arranged in the submarine to reduce the infrared location, in which the waste heat generated by propulsion and power generation devices can be temporarily stored so that the submarine cannot be located by means of infrared sensors by pulling a trace of warm cooling water behind it . In the known submarine there is the possibility, after reaching a safe water depth against the detection by infrared sensors, to replace the hot water in freely floodable rooms with cooler ambient water.

The invention is intended to camouflage the submarines in particular.

It is known to locate submersible submersibles in various ways. A distinction is made between so-called "active" and "passive" location methods. In the "active location methods", a search vehicle, for example a frigate, sends out a search signal, for example an ultrasound signal, and detects the presence and, if appropriate, the position of the submersible on the basis of the signals reflected by the submarine. In the "passive" location methods, however, an environmental disturbance is detected, which is caused by the submarine in its environment. This environmental disturbance can e.g. consist in a warping of the magnetic earth field or in an overlay of the natural ambient noise with own noises of the submarine.

Each of the location methods mentioned above has its specific advantages and disadvantages. A common disadvantage of these methods is that the greater the distance between the submarine and the search vehicle, the more difficult it is to locate submarines. It is known (US-A-3 526 002) to locate submarines on board an aircraft by dragging an extremely sensitive magnetic probe (nuclear magnetic resonance probe) behind it on a long line, with which the distortions caused by the submarine of the earth's magnetic field can be detected, but this location method also quickly reaches its limits, and the more so, the more modern submarines are made from non-magnetic steels. Even with this method, a semi-precise location of the submersible is only possible after crossing a certain area of the sea several times.

Since submarines are motor-driven, there is always a certain amount of waste heat on board the submarine, the amount of which depends on the type of drive of the submarine, the drive power currently being used, etc.

As a rule, submarines for cooling the propulsion system are equipped with a cooling system in which the waste heat from the propulsion system is released to the surrounding sea water. For example, it is known to run lines of an internal cooling circuit of the drive along the outer shell of the submarine, so that the surrounding cold sea water runs along these lines when the submarine is moving and dissipates heat from them.

In addition, other elements of the submarine, in particular interior heating and the like, also develop considerable waste heat which is released to the surrounding seawater over the entire outer skin of the submarine.

A small submarine generates, for example, waste heat in the order of 100 kW, so that if you allow a temperature increase of 50 ° C in the cooling water, about 2 m³ of warm cooling water will be generated per hour. In the case of large submarines, in particular in the case of submarines powered by nuclear power, the heat output is significantly higher and can range up to the order of a few 100 MW, so that the amount of warm cooling water dispensed increases accordingly.

A submarine on a diving trip therefore pulls a trail of warm cooling water behind it, which rises to the surface of the sea due to its lower density compared to the surrounding cold sea water. This means, that a submarine in the submersible traces a trace of heated water on the surface of the sea.

On the other hand, it is known to measure even the smallest temperature variations on the surface of the earth with the help of modern detection methods, for example with the help of specially designed reconnaissance satellites. Even if one therefore takes into account that the warm cooling water given off by a submarine while underwater is swirled by the drive screws of the submarine and is therefore distributed and distributed even more, the deeper the submarine is submerged or the further the heated water has to rise In order to get to the surface of the sea, it is quite possible with sophisticated detection methods to detect the heat trace of a submarine on a dive trip on the surface of the sea.

The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a method or a device of the type mentioned at the outset with which submarines on diving trips can be camouflaged in this respect.

This object is achieved according to the method mentioned in the introduction in that the heated cooling water is brought down below the submarine.

According to the submarine mentioned at the outset, the object on which the invention is based is achieved in that means are provided in order to bring the heated cooling water below the submarine in depth.

The object underlying the invention is completely achieved in this way. When the heated cooling water is brought from the submarine on a dive to a sufficient depth below the submarine and below the surface of the sea, then the heated cooling water then mixes with the surrounding cold sea water to such an extent that the temperature difference of the "diluted" cooling water coming to the sea surface increases the surrounding sea water is only a few mK, with the result that such a small temperature difference can no longer be recognized even with modern detection methods or can no longer be systematically distinguished from the natural temperature fluctuations on the sea surface. In this way, the “heat trace” of the submarine which is on a dive trip is so far blurred that it is no longer possible to locate the submarine in this way.

In the case of exemplary embodiments, the heated cooling water is brought into the depth by means of mechanical means.

This measure has the advantage that the surroundings of the submarine are not chemically influenced.

In a practical application example, closable ballast containers are used. For this purpose, the submarine has, according to the invention, a filling system in which the heated cooling water can be filled in ballast containers, the weight of which in the filled state is greater than that of the amount of surrounding sea water which it displaces.

These measures have the advantage that the heated cooling water can be brought to a sufficient depth with high operational reliability. If there is sufficient space in the submarine, storage of filled containers is possible without any problems if the filled containers are sunk in a special one Situation, for example a battle situation, should just not be possible.

In a first variant of these exemplary embodiments, the ballast containers are sunk as lost good on the sea floor.

This measure has the advantage that the heated cooling water is disposed of undetectably by bringing the filled ballast container on board and the disposal process is thus completed.

In another group of exemplary embodiments, on the other hand, the ballast containers are opened at a predetermined depth by means of a control connection and, after the heated cooling water has escaped, are taken back on board the submarine. For this purpose, the filled and drained ballast containers are connected to the submarine via a connecting line, and a remote-controllable opening device is provided on the ballast containers.

These measures have the advantage that, on the one hand, a burden on the sea floor with sunken ballast containers is avoided, on the other hand, only relatively few ballast containers need to be taken on board because they are always reusable.

It is particularly preferred if the ballast containers consist essentially of a plastic film. This has the advantage that very little storage space in the submarine has to be made available for the containers before filling.

A practical embodiment of this embodiment is characterized in that the filling system has a filling cylinder on which an endless hose is bellows-like it is postponed that the filling cylinder can be emptied intermittently into a section of the endless hose which is pulled off the filling cylinder and that means are provided for section-wise binding of the endless hose.

This measure has the advantage that a rapid filling of the cooling water is possible with the least possible use of material for the ballast containers.

Finally, a further group of exemplary embodiments of the invention is particularly preferred, in which a flexible pipeline is used as the means, which extends from the submarine down to the depth.

This measure has the advantage that the heated cooling water can be drained continuously even in towing operation, the depth in turn being dimensioned such that the heated cooling water emerging from the lower end of the pipeline cools sufficiently on the way to the sea surface.

It is particularly preferred if an outlet head is arranged at the free end of the pipeline.

This measure has the advantage, on the one hand, that the outlet head can act in the manner of a towing anchor to keep the pipeline permanently in the lowered state, on the other hand, the outlet head can also be designed so that the heated cooling water is released in all directions and / or swirled can be used to ensure optimal mixing with the surrounding cold sea water.

Fig. 1

eine äußerst schematisierte Darstellung eines auf Tauchfahrt befindlichen Unterseebootes nach dem Stand der Technik, dessen "Wärmespur" mittels eines Aufklärungssatelliten detektierbar ist;

Fig. 2

eine äußerst schematisierte Darstellung zur Erläuterung eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens bzw. einer zugehörigen Vorrichtung;

Fig. 3

in vergrößertem Maßstab ein Detail aus Fig. 2;

Fig. 4

eine Darstellung ähnlich Fig. 3, jedoch zur Erläuterung eines anderen Verfahrens bzw. noch einer anderen Vorrichtung nach der Erfindung.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing and are explained in more detail in the following description. Show it:

Fig. 1

an extremely schematic representation of a submarine on a diving trip according to the prior art, the "heat trace" can be detected by means of a reconnaissance satellite;

Fig. 2

an extremely schematic representation to explain an embodiment of a method according to the invention or an associated device;

Fig. 3

on an enlarged scale a detail from FIG. 2;

Fig. 4

a representation similar to FIG. 3, but to explain another method or still another device according to the invention.

In Fig. 1, 10 designates a submarine which is diving and which is traveling in a sea 16. The submarine 10 is provided with a schematically indicated drive 11. The drive 11 can be a conventional electric motor, a circulating diesel or a nuclear power drive.

The temperature of the sea 16 is denoted by T₁, while the temperature of the submarine 10 is denoted by T₂. The temperature T₂ is above the ambient temperature T₁, because on the one hand the drive 11, but also other units of the submarine 10 generate waste heat. This waste heat is on the one hand via the outer skin of the submarine 10 to the surrounding water of the sea 16, on the other hand a cooling circuit is regularly used to cool the drive 11, which has a heat exchanger connected to the sea 16.

Overall, this has the consequence that the submarine 10 pulls a train 12 of heated water behind it. The temperature of the train 12 is T₁ + T, where T denotes an overtemperature which is smaller than the difference T₂ -T₁ and moreover decreases locally but also temporally with the distance from the submarine 10.

As a result of the train 12 of heated water, an area A is formed on the surface 13 of the sea 16, the temperature of which is measurably higher than that of the surrounding sea 16.

By means of a reconnaissance satellite 14, this excess temperature of surface A can now be detected via a suitable bearing 15 and the submarine 10 can thus be located.

In order to camouflage the submarine 10 against the locating possibility explained above in FIG. 1, methods and devices can be used as are explained below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, a cooling water outlet line is connected to a bottling plant 41 in submarine 10, the further details of which are explained below with reference to FIG. 3.

In the filling plant 41, containers 42 are filled with the heated cooling water 43. In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, the containers 42 are designed as bags made of plastic film, which are filled at their upper end 44 and are already closed at their lower end 45. After filling the The container 42 also closes the upper end 44 and the container 42 can be let down from the submarine 10 through an opening 50 in the submarine 10 in the direction of the arrow 51. 42 'denotes a container which has been drained from the submarine 10 and which is provided at its lower end with a ballast weight 52 so that the container 42' sinks downward despite the warm cooling water 43 'contained therein.

The containers 42 'can now be thrown freely so that they are sunk to the sea floor as lost goods.

In another variant, which is also shown in FIG. 2, on the other hand, a control line 55 or a connecting cable or the like is provided, with which the container 42a is held and towed at its upper end 44a. By means of a remote control, for example a cable connection via the control line 55 or a wireless ultrasound connection or the like, an opening device (not shown in FIG. 2) at the upper end 44a of the container 42a can be actuated to open the container 42a so that the warm one Cooling water 43a can escape upward from the container 42a, as indicated by arrows 56 in FIG. 2. In this case too, the container 42a is of course provided with a ballast weight 52a so that the container 42a can be lowered to a predetermined depth T.

After the container 42a has emptied itself, it can be taken on board the submarine 10 again by pulling in the control line 55 and filled again.

Fig. 3 shows further details of the filling system 41. It can be seen that a filling cylinder 60 is provided which is connected from the left to the cooling water outlet line 40, while at the opposite end of the filling cylinder 60 there is a central outlet pipe 61. An endless hose 63 is pushed onto the circumference 62 of the filling cylinder 60 like a bellows. The endless hose 63 can be partially pulled off from the circumference 62 to the right with a device (not shown in FIG. 3) and tied there, as indicated by arrows 64.

In this way, it is possible to fill predetermined sections of the endless hose 63 with heated cooling water, the filled sections of the endless hose 62 being tied at both ends.

Finally, FIG. 4 shows yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which a cooling water outlet line 70 is led out through the outer skin of the submarine 10 and merges there into a flexible pipeline 71. The flexible pipe 71 extends with its lower end to the predetermined depth T and is provided there with an outlet head 72 which also acts as a ballast or as a towing anchor.

The outlet head 72 is provided with nozzles and / or baffle plates and the like in such a way that the heated cooling water flows out of the outlet head 72 in all directions and can optimally mix with the surrounding cold sea water.

Claims (15)

1. A method of operating submerged submarines (10) in which during operation cooling water (43) is heated and the heated cooling water (43) is discharged to the surrounding see (16) in a depth (T) being safe against recognition by means of infrared sensors, characterized in that the heated cooling water (43) is discharged in the depth (T) below the submarine (10).
2. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the heated cooling water (43) is conveyed into the depth (T) by means of mechanical means.
3. The method of claim 2, characterized in that closable ballast containers (42) are used as the means.
4. The method of claim 3, characterized in that the ballast containers (42) are sunk to the sea bottom as lost items.
5. The method of claim 3, characterized in that the ballast containers (42a) are opened in a predetermined depth by means of a control connection and are again recuperated on board of the submarine (10) after the discharge of the heated cooling water (43a).
6. The method of any of claims 3 - 5, characterized in that the ballast containers (42) essentially consist of a plastic material foil.
7. The method of claim 6, characterized in that the ballast containers (42) are formed by periodically filling and tying-off an endless hose (63).
8. The method of claim 2, characterized in that a flexible pipe duct (71) is used as the means.
9. A submarine during the operation of which cooling water (43) is heated and the heated cooling water (43) is discharged to the surrounding sea (16) in a depth (T) being safe against recognition by infrared sensors, characterized in that means are provided for conveying the heated cooling water (43) in the dept (T) below the submarine (10).
10. The submarine of claim 9, characterized in that the submarine (10) is provided with a filling installation (41) for filling the heated cooling water (43) into ballast containers (42), the weight of which in a filled state is larger than that of the quantity of surrounding sea water displaced by it.
11. The submarine of claim 10, characterized in that the ballast bags (42) consist of plastic material foil.
12. The submarine of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the filled and discharged ballast containers (42a) are connected to the submarine (10) by means of a connection line (55), and that the ballast containers (42a) are provided with a remote-controllable opening device.
13. The submarine of any of claims 10 - 12, characterized in that the filling installation (41) comprises a filling cylinder (60) with an endless hose (63) being applied thereon in a bellows-type fashion, that the filling cylinder (60) is arranged to be discharged periodically into a section of the endless hose (63) being withdrawn from the filling cylinder (60), and that means are provided for tying-off the endless hose (63) in predetermined distances.
14. The submarine of claim 9, characterized in that a cooling water discharge pipe (70) is connected to a flexible tube duct (71) extending from the submarine (10) into the depth (T).
15. The submarine of claim 14, characterized in that a discharge head (72) is arranged at the free end of the pipe duct (71).

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