SUBMARINEMUSEUMS.ORG Forum
General Boards => Submarine Related Chatter => School of the Boat => Topic started by: Darrin on September 16, 2008, 07:05:14 PM
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All,
This weeks school of the boat deals with the HIGH pressure air system. So with that where does the HIGH pressure air come from and to keep the smart butts in check yes GOD did give us this thing that we call air but he did not compress for us and put it in the air banks for us (even though some A Gangers thought that they were god).
Good luck to all and may we all learn something about this very important system
Darrin
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While looking for answers I came across this on page 123:
The 3,000 pound air system is equipped with an external charging connection so that the system may be supplied with air from an outside source.
I had never really thought about anything besides electricity being hooked up to the sub while docked. So I supposed that in port the sub would have air hooked to it as well.
But what about submarine tenders? I've never seen one, but did they have the capacity to supply that kind of air to all the subs that it was "tending"?
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To answer your question about the 3000 PSI line topside, that was for when the boat was inport and their HP air compressor was down OR for if the boat went down and they could help with resupplying air to the boat to blow the main ballast tanks to hopefully get them back on the right side of the water. In keeping with the enviromental community we are not allowed to blow sanitary tanks overboard while in port any more so we have to hook up San lines also so we can empty the tanks when needed and we also bring on potable water so we don't have to run the still in port, besides who wants to distill water that you just blew san's into :2funny:
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Yes tenders have the ability to supply air and all other connections - that's why they are tenders. In fact all Navy ships have the capacity to connect to shore facilities. In the days when we had ships with boilers they could even supply steam to the shore - just ask San Diego Naval Station - many ships that came in supplied steam to shore for various reasons.
In 1989 (unknown trivia) during the San Francisco earthquake we had separated from the main land (see map of SF and you will see that if you sever connections at San Mateo SF becomes an island), and one of our VP's called up the Navy in Alameda and asked if they could bring a ship over to SF and connect steam to one of the two power plants so we could start the generator up and get power back to at least part of SF. They did, it worked, and everyone was happier.
So Lance you would be surprised to know just what capabilities a Navy ship does have with regards to shore connections.
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As an FYI to all to show how much power that one of the "new" glow boats power it has it can power a city the size of NEW YORK with their reacor running and still have power left over... For me that is still mind boggeling but when Hurricane Iniki came through in Hawaii in the early '90s we were asked to power the entire island and we (uss honolulu) had no problem with it other then the pier was gone and or not accessable for us at the time
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Well I guess everyone is busy with football or clean up after Ike, or something else to answer Darrin's last question about the HP air system. So since it's been a few days since anyone chimed in and I'd rather be reading through my Fleet Type Submarine Manual than watching football - here goes a long winded answer:
The 3000 lb HP air system consists of two HP air compressors, located in the lower flats of the After Engine room; HP piping that runs from the Forward Torpedo Room to the After Torpedo Room; HP air manifolds located on the starboard side of the Control Room; and a series of HP air banks that are located inside of the Main Ballast Tanks.
Each HP air compressor has a capacity of 20 CU FT per hour at 3,000 psi. The HP air compressors discharge into the HP service line to the Receiving Manifold and then into the Air Banks for storage. In addition to the HP Air Compressors there are two topside HP Charging Connections on the port and starboard side of the sail
There are five Air Banks consisting of 36 air bottles. The #1 Air Bank has 8 air bottles, and the four Air Banks have 7 air bottles each. The Air Banks are located in MBT 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, and MBT #6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D. The air bottles are installed upside down to prevent moisture build up inside of the bottles. The Air Bank Receiving and Supply lines are fitted with hull stop vales where the piping pierces the pressure hull and are used to isolate the piping if needed. The total capacity of the Air Banks is 560 CU FT.
The HP Air Manifold is made up with one Receiving and two Distribution HP Manifolds. The Receiving Manifolds receives HP air from the two HP Air Compressors and directs the air to the Air Banks. When HP air is needed the same piping is used to the Receiving Manifold to the two Distribution Manifolds.
The Distribution HP Manifolds direct air to the Safety and Negative tank blow lines, the MBT Blow Manifold, the hydraulic accumulator air flask,, the HP air Bleeder, Bow Buoyancy tank blow line, the 225# Service Air system, and the Forward and After 3000# Service air lines.
The 3000# Service Air lines supply air to the Forward and After Torpedo Rooms, to the engine starting flasks, and to the Reducing Valves in each engine room to supply the 500# air to start the diesel engines.
So what’s missing?
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I had to get one more post in to get to #200 - I'm off to get my truck washed. Let's see if anyone can find out more about the 3000# air system.
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JT I am VERY impressed, sounds like you hit the nail on the head and punched it through... On Torsk we have 1 HI PAC and that is a Hardy/Tines compressor and we also have our low pressure blower in the aft Engine room.. NOW can you produce the drawings to back this up???? because the link to the PAMP don't work for me >:( and for extra credit and possibly a bumper sticker can you produce ALL of the air systems diagram's?????? for all of us miscreants and those wanting to learn their boats :idiot2:
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Hey JT good job on your #200 post, never even checked the counter on mine and looked the other day and I had been promoted to a First Class.... One day damn it I will make CHIEF...
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Well I have tried twice now to post the 3000# air system drawing and the post does not even go - is there a file size limitation? The file is 1.2 MB - I do have them all - Is there another way to get these to you?
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Which do you want snail or hotmail??? but honestly I would like to get someone to POST them if possible for all to see that and IF the other link crashes we still have them on here for all to review...
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There is currently a 2 megabyte per attachment limit with a maximum of 6 attachments per post. You should be in the clear. If you need more let me know.
One way or another we'll get them up here.
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Darrin, I thought the LP blower was in the Pump Room under Control and I also thought we had two Hardy Tines. :coolsmiley:
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Will have to look because I have been thinking about it and that sounds right about two hardy/tines :-[ on Torsk, oh well guess I better get back to the engine rooms and start cleaning them
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Sounds like a good plan to me!
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On Torsk:
LP Blower in Pump Room, starboard side.
2 Hardy Tines HiPacs in Forward Engine Room, Lower Level
2 Carrier Air Conditioning Compressors, After Engine Room, Lower Level, where the dinky used to be.
Gil
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Thanks Gil,
I honestly didn't have a clue as to how large one Hardy/Tines is and honestly I thought that it was one unit and not two and I was reasonably sure that there wasn't one in the Aft room but I have been known to be wrong before more (sometimes more then I would like)
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I have bee swamped today - I will try to post those drawings again from work in the morning. If that does not work I will send them to Lane for him to try. It could have been me at this end.
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Good Morning fro the Bilges:
Ref HPA. You describe it, but not all. What's missing? The Salvage Air connections either side of the CT where 3000# air can be provided by a surface vessel to the boat. All the salvage air connections had a sort-of, 'Braille," welded on to them so that the diver could identify them them in the dark or mud. Next question COB, oh yeah, here's your coffee and Krispy Kreme!
Cheers, Senior Dink, Hairball.
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Ooops! I forgot, apart from a surface vessel the dickyard could also supply HPA via those two connections either side of the CT..
Hairy.
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Very good! ;D
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"To answer your question about the 3000 PSI line topside, that was for when the boat was inport and their HP air compressor was down OR for if the boat went down and they could help with resupplying air to the boat to blow the main ballast tanks to hopefully get them back on the right side of the water"
Thanks Hairy, we haven't gone over the Salvage air system yet............... And that my friend is tonights School of the boat