ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel SmarterEveryDay How to Surface a Submarine in the Arctic Ocean – Smarter Every Day 260
Welcome to an exciting exploration of submarine operations in the Arctic Ocean, as featured in the Smarter Every Day series. This article will guide you through the fascinating process of controlling and surfacing a nuclear submarine beneath the Arctic ice. Join us as we delve into the intricacies of submarine navigation and the physics involved in breaking through thick ice layers.
The journey begins on an ice floe in the Arctic Ocean, where we board the USS Toledo, a U.S. Navy fast attack nuclear submarine. Our mission is to understand the complex procedures involved in navigating and surfacing a submarine in such a challenging environment. The experience is both thrilling and educational, offering insights into the unique challenges faced by submariners.
Submarines are equipped with bow planes, which function like wings on an airplane, aiding in ascent and descent. These bow planes are hydraulically retracted to prevent damage when surfacing through ice. The submarine’s buoyancy is controlled by ballast tanks, which can take on water or release air to adjust the vessel’s buoyancy.
In the control room, the captain and crew manage the submarine’s operations. The diving officer monitors angles, pitch, and roll, ensuring the submarine maintains a level position. The depth gauge provides critical information about the submarine’s position underwater, while the crew adjusts the rudder and bow planes to navigate effectively.
When diving, the submarine must carefully manage its buoyancy and angle. The Arctic environment presents unique challenges, such as changes in salinity and temperature, which affect buoyancy. The crew must be vigilant and responsive to these conditions to maintain control.
As the submarine prepares to surface, the crew’s energy and focus intensify. The captain dons Arctic gear to clear ice from the sail, ensuring a safe and effective surfacing. The team at Camp Seadragon identifies the optimal location for surfacing, and the submarine must break through the ice at the correct angle to avoid tipping.
Submarines are designed to withstand significant pressure changes as they dive deeper into the ocean. The hull compresses under pressure, a phenomenon demonstrated by a simple string experiment in the torpedo room. This compression is accounted for in the submarine’s design, ensuring all operations remain unaffected.
Controlling a submarine’s depth involves precise adjustments to the ballast tanks and dive planes. Achieving a zero-degree angle while maintaining a specific depth is a challenging task that requires skill and experience. The crew’s ability to manage these variables is crucial for successful navigation and surfacing.
This exploration of submarine operations in the Arctic Ocean highlights the complexity and precision required to navigate and surface a nuclear submarine. The experience aboard the USS Toledo offers valuable insights into the science and engineering behind these incredible vessels. We extend our gratitude to the crew for their hospitality and to Commander Jodie Cornell for facilitating this educational journey.
For those interested in further exploring the history of submarines, consider listening to “Thunder Below” on Audible, which delves into the story of the USS Barb. Thank you for joining us on this deep dive into the world of submarines, and we hope you found it both informative and engaging.
Engage in a virtual simulation where you can practice navigating a submarine in the Arctic Ocean. Use the controls to manage buoyancy, adjust the bow planes, and surface through ice. This activity will help you understand the complexities of submarine mechanics and the challenges of Arctic navigation.
Participate in an interactive workshop that replicates the submarine’s control room environment. Work with a team to monitor angles, pitch, and roll, and make real-time decisions to maintain the submarine’s stability. This hands-on experience will enhance your understanding of the roles and responsibilities within a submarine’s control room.
Conduct a physics experiment to explore the principles of buoyancy and pressure. Use a model submarine to demonstrate how ballast tanks and dive planes affect buoyancy. This experiment will deepen your comprehension of the scientific principles that govern submarine operations.
Analyze a case study focused on the challenges of surfacing a submarine in the Arctic. Discuss the environmental factors such as salinity and temperature changes, and propose strategies to overcome these challenges. This analysis will improve your problem-solving skills and understanding of Arctic submarine operations.
Attend a guest lecture by a submarine engineer or naval architect who will discuss the design and engineering of submarines. Learn about the structural considerations for withstanding pressure changes and the innovations in submarine technology. This lecture will provide you with expert insights into the engineering behind these vessels.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, with sensitive information and informal language removed or adjusted for clarity:
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– [Man] Seven zero, six up, point four up. Standby for impact!
– Welcome back to Smarter Every Day. I’ve made a long journey to an ice floe in the Arctic Ocean to board the USS Toledo, a U.S. Navy fast attack nuclear submarine, which has made its way through the ice. Today, we’re going to learn how to control a submarine underwater, which is quite different from what I expected. After we go back into the ice, we’ll dive deep into the ocean, which I found a bit unsettling, and then we’ll go into the control room to learn the complex and critical process of surfacing a submarine in the Arctic, which involves using physics to break through the thick Arctic ice.
– All right, here we are at the final episode of the Smarter Every Day deep dive series on board a nuclear submarine. There are many other topics you can explore in previous episodes, such as the command structure, how to generate oxygen, and fire safety procedures. For now, let’s go back to when I first boarded the USS Toledo and learn what it was like to descend through the ice and begin our journey. Let’s get smarter every day.
[Music]
– Okay, Arnell is about to explain the process. We are about to dive, and you’re going to walk me through how that works, right?
– Right.
– [Dustin] So what’s happening?
– Essentially, we’re going to take the submarine from being stuck in ice and return it to a normal operating state. Right now, we have our bow planes retracted.
– [Dustin] Our what?
– The bow planes, which are like wings on the front of the submarine that help us ascend and descend. They operate similarly to airplane wings.
– [Dustin] So you pull them inside the submarine?
– Yes, we hydraulically retract both sets of bow planes to prevent damage when surfacing through the ice.
– [Dustin] Can I see them?
– They are currently retracted.
– [Dustin] Got it.
– The ballast tanks are located here and at the back. We can take on water or release air to adjust the buoyancy of the submarine.
– [Dustin] The sail?
– Yes, the sail is where you boarded the submarine. When we surface, we would normally use the weapons shipping hatch, but due to the ice, we couldn’t open it without risking flooding.
– [Dustin] That’s a good reason not to do that.
– My understanding is that you’re going to take me to the control room.
– That’s correct.
– And we’re going to dive.
– Yes, we’re about to dive the ship.
– And you’re going to let me film?
– You will see something.
– [Dustin] So who will I be watching?
– When we go to control, you’ll be at the front where I usually stand. The captain will be on the conn, and you’ll see the chief of the watch, the diving officer, and the officer of the deck, who will be in charge of the entire operation.
– Okay, sounds good. What should I avoid saying to not look foolish in that room?
– Just let it ride.
– Yes, sir, I’m looking forward to it.
– Filming inside the control room of a U.S. nuclear submarine while diving in the Arctic is a significant privilege. The Navy takes this access seriously, so there will be some parts blurred out or with audio dropped to protect classified information.
– [Man] Just tell me when you’re ready.
– Ready, sir.
– [Man] Ready?
– Yes, ready to dive.
– Captain, all personnel on board. The ship is rigged for dive, with the exception of Arctic full blow and a sounding of 1490 fathoms beneath the ship. I intend to dive the ship to 180 feet.
– [Man] Dive the ship to 180 feet.
– [Man] Stationary dive the ship to 180 feet.
– [Man] One MC, stationary dive, stationary dive.
– [Man] Chief of the watch, aye.
– [Man] We can bring the water in, having shut it in half so we can control the angle as we descend.
– The diving officer is managing our angles and pitch and roll, which we can monitor here.
– [Dustin] Where’s the depth gauge?
– Here is the depth gauge, and you can also see digital depth readings.
– [Dustin] Got it.
– Right now, we have a 63-degree down angle.
– [Dustin] Understood.
– We’re trying to come off the ice.
– [Man] Upward depth rate, four down.
– [Man] We’re flooding.
– [Man] Test turn planes and rudders.
– [Man] Extend the bow planes.
– [Man] CSES control extending the bow planes.
– [Man] I make it up to 240 feet, zero-degree bubble.
– You just heard the diving officer say zero-degree bubble. This means the submarine is maintaining a level position before the ballast tanks are equalized. The submariners use the bow planes and stern planes to achieve this.
– [Dustin] So when you do a static dive, you don’t have the forward momentum of the boat and the bow planes to assist you.
– Correct. You need to adjust pitch and roll with ballast.
– [Dustin] So, if you noticed, when he first started, he was calling off depth rates rapidly due to the heavy freshwater.
– Yes, the salinity changes significantly under the Arctic, affecting buoyancy.
– [Dustin] So, it’s a strong effect.
– Yes, and we also have to deal with temperature changes.
– [Dustin] I noticed you were stressed for a short time, and now you seem calm.
– A lot happens at once, and if things don’t go exactly right, it can lead to complications. Once everything is ordered up, it calms down significantly.
– [Dustin] So you’re controlling the rudder of the ship?
– Yes, rudder and bow planes.
– [Dustin] So you’re just looking at gauges?
– Yes, just the gauges.
– [Dustin] What are you trying to hit?
– I’m going to a course, heading east.
– [Dustin] Is it intense?
– At first, yes, but I’ve gotten used to it.
– [Dustin] So, we did the dive and now we’re turning ten times, is that correct?
– Yes, we’re going to do ten turns of the screw, which refers to the propeller’s rotation rate.
– [Dustin] Got it.
– The goal is to slow down for precise adjustments to the trim.
– [Dustin] Where did you learn all this?
– A lot of experience on board and previous training.
– [Dustin] Later, once we were underway, Chief Charlton had a demonstration set up in the torpedo room.
– We have a string tied across the ship at a shallow depth, and as we dive, you’ll see how the hull compresses.
– [Dustin] Really?
– Yes, as we dive, the string will lower due to hull compression.
– [Dustin] Are you allowed to tell me the difference in depth?
– No.
– [Dustin] Okay.
– [Chief Charlton] As we go deeper, you’ll see the string start to dip.
– [Dustin] Wow, that’s a noticeable tilt.
– Yes, we’re starting to get some slack on the line.
– [Dustin] So the hull is designed to compress like that?
– Yes, everything is mounted to allow for hull compression without affecting operations.
– This is fascinating. I learned that a submarine can control its depth with dive planes and ballast tanks and can withstand significant pressure.
– [Dustin] So, the depth affects your ballast tank?
– Exactly. At great depths, you need to pump a lot of air into the ballast tanks or maintain a certain velocity for control.
– [Dustin] This is more complicated than I thought.
– Yes, you control relative buoyancy from the front and back.
– [Dustin] Hovering a submarine sounds challenging.
– Yes, maintaining a specific depth with zero angle is difficult.
– [Dustin] Thank you for the insight.
– No problem.
– As we approached surfacing, I felt the energy level of the crew increase. The captain prepared by putting on Arctic gear.
– [Dustin] What are you doing?
– When we surface, I go up to the bridge first to clear the ice off the sail.
– [Dustin] So you’re going to move the ice from the top?
– Yes, we expect about two to three feet of ice.
– [Dustin] Can I film?
– Yes, a GoPro will be a cool shot.
– [Dustin] So this is my radiation exposure monitor?
– Yes, we can quantify your exposure with this device.
– [Dustin] Thanks.
– We’re about to surface from under the ice. The team at Camp Seadragon has identified a specific location for surfacing.
– We need to ensure we come up at the right angle to break through the ice without damaging the submarine.
– [Dustin] So, if we don’t break through enough, we could tip over?
– Exactly.
– [Man] We’ll run a steady course two one zero.
– [Dustin] So we’re close to the ice now?
– Yes, about 150 feet underwater.
– [Man] Mark the spot where we surfaced yesterday.
– [Dustin] You can see it through the ice?
– Yes, we need to shovel it out.
– [Dustin] Got it.
– The crew is mapping out the surfacing location.
– [Dustin] What’s happening there?
– Everyone is trained well, so I can focus on the big picture.
– [Dustin] We’re about to punch through the ice.
– [Man] Vertically surface the ship.
– [Man] Stand by for impact.
– [Man] Impact!
– [Dustin] I want to see what it looks like from above the ice.
– The primary concern is to ensure we have enough freeboard to prevent water from entering.
– [Dustin] How big are the ice chunks?
– They can vary in size.
– [Dustin] So I should stay back?
– Yes, I recommend staying behind that drain.
– [Dustin] How was the surfacing?
– Intense, but it gets better with experience.
– [Dustin] Thank you for the insight.
– [Dustin] I took a few more pictures and said my goodbyes before heading to the helicopter.
– After a short flight, we landed at Camp Seadragon, where I took some last-minute photos.
– This was the last video in the Smarter Every Day deep dive series on nuclear submarines.
– I want to thank everyone on board the USS Toledo for their hospitality and support.
– I also want to introduce Commander Jodie Cornell, who facilitated this entire experience.
– [Jodie] I wanted you to learn about the submarine force and share that with others.
– [Dustin] Thank you for making this happen.
– I appreciate the Navy for allowing us to experience this deep dive series.
– This episode is sponsored by Audible.
– I encourage you to explore the history of submarines, including the USS Barb, by listening to “Thunder Below.”
– Thank you for watching the Smarter Every Day deep dive series.
– I’m grateful for everyone involved, and I hope you learned something valuable.
– I’m Dustin, and I hope you have a great day!
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Submarine – A watercraft capable of independent operation underwater, often used for research, exploration, or military purposes. – The submarine’s design incorporates advanced materials to withstand the immense pressure of deep-sea environments.
Arctic – Relating to the polar region at the northernmost part of the Earth, characterized by extreme cold and ice-covered landscapes. – Engineers are developing new materials to improve the efficiency of equipment used in Arctic conditions.
Buoyancy – The ability or tendency of an object to float in a fluid due to the upward force exerted by the fluid. – Understanding buoyancy is crucial for designing vessels that can maintain stability in varying water conditions.
Navigation – The process or activity of accurately ascertaining one’s position and planning and following a route, especially in the context of ships or aircraft. – Advanced navigation systems are essential for ensuring the safe passage of ships through congested waterways.
Mechanics – The branch of physics that deals with the motion of objects and the forces that affect them. – The study of mechanics is fundamental to understanding how machines operate and how to improve their efficiency.
Pressure – The force exerted per unit area on the surface of an object, often measured in pascals or atmospheres. – Engineers must account for pressure variations when designing equipment for high-altitude or deep-sea applications.
Stability – The ability of a structure or object to maintain its position or state without being altered by external forces. – Ensuring the stability of a bridge during an earthquake is a critical aspect of civil engineering.
Operations – The activities involved in the functioning and management of systems, often within industrial or technical contexts. – Streamlining operations in a manufacturing plant can significantly enhance productivity and reduce costs.
Engineering – The application of scientific and mathematical principles to design and build structures, machines, and systems. – Engineering innovations have led to the development of more sustainable energy solutions.
Procedures – Established or official ways of doing something, often involving a series of steps or actions in technical or scientific contexts. – Following proper safety procedures is essential to prevent accidents in the laboratory.
