Posted on 12/29/2011 5:28:17 PM PST by decimon
Maybe they make the subs out of magnesium.
Our subs are rather flammable, and the Russians are notorious for being terrible with fire safety on their boats. Mission is the top priority, and between paint (an anti-corrosion necessity that burns), hull insulation (again to prevent condensation that causes corrosion and short circuits but non-asbestos insulation burns), lubricating oils (which burn), hydraulic oils (I hope you see the pattern), fuel oils for the backup diesel generator, torpedo fuels, explosives, and the rest of the military necessities, it's hard to make a safe submarine.
There are reports that our S2G reactor on USS Seawolf, SSN-575, and possibly some Russian Alpha class submarines had a liquid sodium cooled reactor. In a ship surrounded by water, I would not be comfortable with large volumes of hot, highly radioactive liquid sodium under pressure.
Could just as well have been a mess hall grease fire that spread after someone didn’t practice proper extinguishing controls.... if in the docks they could have had nearly anything on the messdecks - cartons of supplies, paint, oxygen/acetylene tanks....
If it was in the engine rooms I’m surprised they didn’t have halon or some other anti-combustant. US ships have had halon or an equivalent for decades in the engine spaces - yes it’s deadly if inhaled which is why you evac the firefighting team first, but it will save the ship and keep her afloat.
well at least it would be quick, none of this dying is misery from too much radiation
Thank you.
Wasn’t trying to make fun either.
On the bright side, one less communist vessel to mess with our country in the coming years.
If it was a major overhaul, might they have stripped out the FC systems, too?
Nice post...thanks
ping... and get your sorry butt back in posting mode. ;)
I don’t run a meth lab LOL
Ex Firefighter 25 years on, 21 years retired.
http://www.northofseveycorners.com/history/names/sargo-1.htm
James Smallwood was my uncle. My thoughts and prayers are with all those involved.
A fire of that intensity? Almost certainly a core melt-down.
Sorry to see that about your uncle. He was brave.
the Alphas were lead-bismuth cooled fast reactors... the liquid lead-bismuth systems won't cause an explosion and quickly solidify in case of a leak, greatly improving safety or so they say
Well,
At least they didn’t shoot themselves with a torpedo this time.
DOH!
Oh yeah, sure, fire fighter.
Sooo, what’s crack going for now a days?
ping
Good point but then they should have had fire watches posted beyond normal .... You d think....
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