Nuclear Submarine Runs Aground South of Guam

The Associated Press ^ | Jan 8, 2005 | The Associated Press

[Jet Jaguar]

HONOLULU (AP) - A nuclear submarine ran aground about 350 miles south of Guam, injuring several sailors, one of them critically, the Navy said.

There were no reports of damage to the USS San Francisco's reactor plant, which was operating normally, the Navy said.

Jon Yoshishige, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor, said the Friday afternoon incident is under investigation and the 360-foot submarine was headed back to its home port in Guam.

Details on the sailors' injuries were not immediately available. The sub has a crew of 137, officials said.

Military and Coast Guard aircraft from Guam were en route to monitor the submarine and assist if needed, the Navy said.

Guam is a U.S. territory about 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii.

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On the Net:

U.S. Pacific Fleet: http://www.cpf.navy.mil

AP-ES-01-08-05 0343EST

[El Gran Salseron]

"I remember the sonar girls used to wet themselves"

HEY!

Watch it!

STS2 ( SS )

:-)

[txhurl]

[WildTurkey]

Watch it!

That's what all the ST's said when in the head ...

[SlowBoat407]

Actually, the latest version is the RLGN (Ring Laser Gyro Navigator), which I believe is on all the latest boats.

[j_tull]

That's what all the ST's said when in the head shower...

[SlowBoat407]

BTW, RLG works because light has mass. My high school physics teacher is doubtless soiling himself.

Actually, it works because the velocity of light in a medium is independent of the velocity of the source. The standing wave created by firing lasers across each other is measured for any sign of movement relative to the sensor, which rotates with the respective axis of the vessel.

[SlowBoat407]

Just got through the thread and am up to speed now. I'm more familiar with the RLGNs.

[windchime]

Prayers.

[j_tull]

which rotates with the respective axis of the vessel.

Actual motion, or only that motion coupled to the sensor by gimbal friction? Also, is earth or inertially referenced. Been out 10 years, just wondering.

[SlowBoat407]

The IMU is now considered a "strapdown" system which does not move with respect to the vessel. All motion is measured internally through measurements inside the Ring Laser Gyro. The only motion taking place is the regular indexing or flipping of the IMU to cancel out accumulated errors.

It's a whole new world down there!

[SlowBoat407]

One self-correction. Rotation is measured with the RLG, linear motion is still measured with accelerometers.

[j_tull]

It's a whole new world down there!

Apparently. So, these things don't operate from a stable platform, but all stabilization is done in the math model? Nice... I'll bet Schuler still figures in, though.

[SlowBoat407]

Apparently. So, these things don't operate from a stable platform, but all stabilization is done in the math model? Nice... I'll bet Schuler still figures in, though.

No more stable platform, no more spinning mass. Schuler is still figured in, though. It's all processed digitally and converted to synchro signals where necessary.

[WildTurkey]

That's what all the ST's said when in the head shower...

Our showers were pretty small but we always suspected that there were more than one in one at a time. That would explain why their showers were always so long.

[WildTurkey]

Actually, it works because the velocity of light in a medium is independent of the velocity of the source. The standing wave created by firing lasers across each other is measured for any sign of movement relative to the sensor, which rotates with the respective axis of the vessel.

Correct. If the setup is rotating, then one beam has to travel a further distance to meet the other beam even though the geometric distance is the same which results in a different frequency output. Simplistic but I haven't looked at the Light physics, yet. Saved for later.

[SlowBoat407]

Correct. If the setup is rotating, then one beam has to travel a further distance to meet the other beam even though the geometric distance is the same which results in a different frequency output. Simplistic but I haven't looked at the Light physics, yet. Saved for later.

The sensor is measuring the standing wave created by the interference of each beam with the other. When the system rotates, the sensor actually moves along the standing wave and senses a shift in it. The amount of shift tells the amount and speed of rotation.

[Squantos]

Tell him he still smells like Aimee !

Ask him if he knew who it was that sank a sub at the dock ?

[WildTurkey]

The sensor is measuring the standing wave created by the interference of each beam with the other. When the system rotates, the sensor actually moves along the standing wave and senses a shift in it. The amount of shift tells the amount and speed of rotation.

As I understand it (maybe there are different technologies) the beams are recombined after completing opposite circuits. When they are recombined, an interference signal is created and the measure of the interference amplitute changes (at the position of the detector) due to the light paths changing lengths due to rotation even though the "actual" physical geometry does not change.

[SlowBoat407]

As I understand it (maybe there are different technologies) the beams are recombined after completing opposite circuits. When they are recombined, an interference signal is created and the measure of the interference amplitute changes (at the position of the detector) due to the light paths changing lengths due to rotation even though the "actual" physical geometry does not change.

That agrees with the internal layout of the RLG. I wouldn't change a word.

[NoCmpromiz]

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