Re:USS McCain collision ultimately caused by UI confusion
by digi_owl on Friday November 03, 2017 @01:45PM
(#15620959)
I love the way they did the electromagnetic catapult.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_Aircraft_Launc...
Basically they spin up flywheels that then dump their kinetic energy back into electric power as the catapult is released.
And it allows them to finely adjust the speed of the catapult depending on the kind of aircraft they are launching.
Re:USS McCain collision ultimately caused by UI confusion
by autokad on Friday November 03, 2017 @09:51AM
(#15619202)
some nuclear submarines are not steam powered directly, they use electric engines.
Re:USS McCain collision ultimately caused by UI confusion
by bzbarsky on Friday November 03, 2017 @12:01PM
(#15620171)
Very few, if https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_electric_propulsion... and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia-class_submarine#Elect... are to be believed. The latter claims that as of 2013 there is exactly one nuclear submarine class (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triomphant-class_submarine to be exact) that uses electric engines.
You've probably seen aircraft carrier decks covered in smoke. This is because the Nimitz's catapult system is directly steam powered, service steam is widely used on the class. I can't find a citation for this now (this is from memory) but I saw some documentary on it once where it was mentioned in passing that even the washing machines on the ship were steam powered. There's service steam everywhere on the Nimitz.
Having steam power everywhere introduces a lot of complexities, which is why the Navy's moving away from it with their new carrier class[4]. The Gerald R. Ford-class does away with service steam in favor of more powerful electric generators. There'll be no service steam, just steam to drive the electric turbines.
1. http://www.nimitz.navy.mil/FACTS.html
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimitz-class_aircraft_carrier#...
3. https://www.marinelink.com/news/dresserrand-propulsion302604
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_R._Ford-class_aircraft_...