Vanguard Magazine

that routinely face the most extreme of ocean conditions. Acknowledging the Pa- cific and Atlantic coasts are a demanding environment; the challenge is of course the Arctic, as it is covered in ice and pro- longed operations under the ice require a submarine to be able to operate far from support facilities without having to sur- face. To date, this capability has been the sole domain of the nuclear-powered sub- marine, as it demands air independent power generation and the amount of pow- er that has heretofore only been capable of being generated by a nuclear reactor. 4 A Modern Submarine Modern ocean-going submarines, be they nuclear or conventionally powered, are remarkably similar – what differs between the two is how they generate power. The front section of the submarine is where command and control is exercised from, equipment is operated, and the crew ac- commodated – a common feature that in- cludes the same weapons and sensors suite regardless of the fitted power generation system, which typically occupies the stern section of the submarine. All that said, it is worthwhile to clarify some key points about submarines, particularly as they ap- ply to under-ice operations. • A conventionally powered (diesel electric) submarine generates power by running diesel generators and stores this power in large storage batteries. These batter- ies then supply power for everything the submarine uses: the propulsion motor(s), weapons and sensors, all domestic needs, etc. A simple and well proven system that has been in use for over a century, howev- er, these batteries have a finite capacity to store electrical energy that, depending on SUBMARINES Acknowledging the Pacific and Atlantic coasts are a demanding environment; the challenge is of course the Arctic, as it is covered in ice and prolonged operations under the ice require a submarine to be able to operate far from support facilities without having to surface. www.vanguardcanada.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 13 usage, demands the submarine recharge them regularly. Recharging the battery is accomplished by coming to periscope depth and raising a snorkel or 'snort' mast above the surface and running the air-breathing diesel generators. The sub- merged endurance of these submarines is therefore dictated by the state of the bat- tery charge. This is most notable in the biggest draw on electrical power, which is propulsion, where slow speed can of- fer days of operation, but high speeds can literally see a battery depleted in minutes. • Conventional submarines fitted with an Air-Independent Power (AIP) system to augment their diesel generators, have enhanced submerged endurance that is subject to the capabilities and limitations of the fitted AIP system. 5 These AIP sys- tems generate power (kilowatts) and al- low the battery to be partially charged HMCS Victoria. Photo: DND

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