Submarines
Description
For centuries, man has wanted to sail underwater, but the first successful attempt is attributed to Cornelis Drebbel when he demonstrated his submarine under the waters of the Thames for King James I in 1620. Most submarines before 1900 also literally ended up underwater, which did not stop pioneers from constantly creating new designs. While in the beginning, submarines were mainly propelled by human power, in the second half of the 19th century the steam engine, battery, electric motor and internal combustion engine came into view.
Some characteristic aspects of submarine and submarine design are briefly outlined.
The further development of submarines is illustrated with examples of the 44 submarines of the Dutch Royal Navy in the period from 1903 to 1940, starting with the O-1, a design by Irishman John Philip Holland. This boat was first built on his own account at the shipyard de Schelde and hopefully christened as the Luctor et Emergo. After WWII, Dutch submarine construction revived with three construction projects. Successively, the Tonijn-, the Zwaardvis- and the current Walrus-class form a series of innovative designs. This part of the story concludes with the question: what will the successor to the Walrus look like?
The second part of the story recounts the accident on the Russian nuclear guided-gun submarine (SSGN) the Oscar II class Kursk and the gigantic salvage operation that followed.
On 10 August 2000, a tragedy unfolds in the Barents Sea when the cargo of a large number of torpedoes detonates in the front of the boat, the pressure skin bursts open and the boat, with a displacement of 1,500 tonnes, sinks to the seabed in a matter of minutes.
Attempts to rescue survivors fail. What remains is a complex undertaking to salvage the submarine. With two nuclear reactors now lying at 'only' 108 m deep on the seabed, a major environmental disaster is feared if they were left there in this fish-rich area. An operational plan is therefore being devised and is being implemented by Smit Internationale and Mammoet. Besides the many questions about the condition of the boat and the status of the reactors, the first question is how to lift the boat from the bottom and what lifting equipment to use. Before proceeding to salvage, these methods still need to be tested.
After initial attempts to obtain European funding for the salvage for which the Kursk Foundation was created, the Russian government decides to pay the costs itself after all. It then becomes a race against time to salvage the Kursk from the cold stormy waters of the Barents Sea before winter sets in in 2001. The wreck will be hoisted under the specially adapted sinking lighter, the Giant, and placed in a floating dock in Murmansk in October 2001
10.30:00 Reception with coffee/tea
11:00 Lecture by Dr ir. C.A. Prins
11.45 Pause
12.15 Continuation of lecture with concluding discussion
12.45 End of meeting
Speaker(s)
Speakers' background in brief
Education: mechanical engineer, PhD 1964 with Prof Latzko. Employers: TU Delft, the Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij. After retirement secretary of the Dutch Underwater Knowledge Center (DUKC)
Location
Science Centre, Mijnbouwstraat 120, Delft
Organiser
History of Technology
Histechnica
Name and contact details for information
Further information from L.A. Hissink at the e-mail address below.