Sarov-class submarine
The B-90 Sarov (also project 20120 ) is an experimental submarine, with the Russian Navy plans to test the interaction of diesel - electric propulsion and nuclear facilities.
Prehistory
For some time there have been rumors of a supposedly under construction nuclear pounds. In September, this top-secret submarine was named Sarov then briefly on the websites of the sponsoring city of Sarov - an embarrassing mistake that was corrected immediately and everywhere official denials followed. Two months later, but is now clear beyond doubt that there is indeed the Sarov.
Specifications
Following the previously available sources, the following picture emerges:
- Length: 72.6 m
- Width: 9.9 m
- Draught: 7 m
- Displacement: 2300/3950 tons
- Diving depth: 300 meters
- Speed: 10/17 kts
- Dive time: 45 days
Design
The Design for Project 20120 has been developed since 1989 with ruby. Construction (?) Was then at the Krasnoje Sormowo in Nizhny Novgorod, where some of the first nuclear -powered submarines of the Soviet Navy had been built. Later, the hull was done on inland waterways to the White Sea and the Sarov completed at Sewmash and rolled out of the construction hall on 14 December 2007.
Externally, the new building is to the submarines of the Kilo- I class ( there are photos so far ) same, with a submersible displacement of 3950 ts but significantly larger than this ( 3050 ts) - presumably by inserting an additional hull section. However, the feature is not the size but the propulsion system. For the first time in the history of the submarine - building diesel-electric and nuclear power are combined in Sarov. So has the new U- boat on the diesel engines and battery banks of the submarines of the Kilo class known conventional. In addition to these power but is also produced by a nuclear plant.
If one follows the currently circulating to Sarov conjecture, but it is evidently not a usual in submarine construction reactor in which the heat of the radioactive process generates steam, which then drives turbines. Used is rather a so-called radioisotope thermal generator ( RTG). Here the object resulting from the radioactive decay temperature acts in a closed system directly on dissimilar metals between which then creates electrical voltage ( thermoelectricity, Seebeck effect). So a RTG does not produce steam, but direct electricity and thus basically works like a battery. Advantage is especially the possible miniaturization of such a system, the only, the radioactive decay of certain elements ( plutonium, strontium ) generated heat, but does not use the conventional nuclear fission reactors.
The method is not new. RTGs find for decades in the international space use. They provide the power supply for satellites that are too far away from the sun to use solar sail effectively (eg, space probes Voyager 1 and Cassini ). In the former Soviet Union RTGs were already in the long term current navigational aids in remote, not at any time reach areas (Arctic) used - strongly criticized by environmentalists. For the first time such a system is now but used to generate electricity in a warship. It is unclear whether Russia so that a new path only for submarine drives (possibly completely silent? ) Treading, or perhaps even in RTG provides a way for an all-electric drive also surface units.
Reporting
The administration of the Russian city of Sarov had accidentally divulged the secret project of the latest Russian submarine on the official City page on 6 September 2007. There was published on the visit of the commander of the submarine Sarov Sergei Kroschkin, as well as the number of the U -boat project 20120 and tactical and technical data.
Future
The Sarov to be testing platform for anti-submarine weapons and systems, and of course the drive system as a single boat first. Your design is designed for a long service life and looks specifically the possibility of short-term upgrades and modifications before. First test drives have been announced for 2008.