AircraftCarrier Catapaults....

[Antisocial Virge]

Originally posted by: So
Actually, I believe the next generation of Carriers will use an electromaginetic catapult. The G. H. W. Bush, I think is the first. Let me look.

A aircraft carrier called the The G. H. W. Bush? Now if a boat ever had a excess of hot air that would be the one... ho ho ho ho

 

[Rainsford]

My feeling is that in war you really, REALLY want stuff that works correctly the vast majority of the time. That's why so much of the stuff in the army, navy, etc is "behind the times" from our point of view. A lot of the computing systems are 20 or more years old, but they do their job just fine, why in the hell would you replace them? Until someone has better technology that is just as reliable and has some advantage, I don't see them replacing anything they absolutely don't have to.

 

[alkemyst]

The steam catapult is a good system. Magnetic systems would require much reengineering as well as open up doors to electrical sabatoge. I believe the steam catapults can be triggered manually in a total control failure.

Å

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: KraziKid
Don't they use the nuclear generator to create the steam? (fission reaction heats heavy water, heavy water heats normal water to make steam, and this steam powers generators and the catapults)

IIRC heavy water is not used in the cooling system of US naval reactors. The reactor should be PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor). The primary loop is pressurized, preventing it from flashing to steam. Normal water absorbs more neutrons than heavy water, it acts as the moderator for the reactor.

that is correct , USN reactors are all PWR's, the primary and secondary cooling systems are both pure water (distilled) with chemical conditioning to prevent corrosion

the primary system feeds the hot side of a heat exchanger (steam generator) , the secondary system receives steam from the steam generator. the steam runs steam turbines that provide both propulsion and turn the electrical generators.

i wasn't on a carrier, i am not sure if the catapult steam is directly taken from the secondary system or if a subsystem
(another heat exchanger) connects them together

 

[UltraQuiet]

Originally posted by: sparkyclarky

Originally posted by: BillyGoat0
navy abe from 94-99 - I worked on catapults on the USS enterprise-I was a CAT specialist- went to both and and C school for them. Yes the steam is created from the nukes, and we use presurized water as brakes for them . neat huh? When i got out in 99 there was lots of talks of the electro magnetic cats, rumormill was that the regan was gonna have them

I think the Reagan was already launched and it still uses steam.

True

The next carrier, CVN 77 - GHWB, may or may not have the magnetic catapults. The current plan is no. The 77 is supposed to be the transition carrier, where the technology is mixed between old and new. It may end up with quite a bit of CVN 21 technology. The next carrier, designated CVN 21, will have the magnetic catapults. The entire platform is a huge departure from our current carriers with a crew size projected to be one-third to one-half of current manning requirements.

It's all academic anyway. Carriers, like all ships that operate on top of the water, are nothing more than targets.

Two types of ships put to sea - - Submarines and targets.

FTC (SS)

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: Ultra Quiet
The next carrier, designated CVN 21, will have the magnetic catapults. The entire platform is a huge departure from our current carriers with a crew size projected to be one-third to one-half of current manning requirements.

Some good info:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/cvx.htm

CVNX-2 will be the culmination of the evolutionary carrier design program started with CVN-76. Key features of CVNX-2 will include an electromagnetic aircraft launching system that will have reduced manpower and maintenance as well as lower wind over deck requirements for aircraft launch and recovery. This system will also extend aircraft life, as peak loads on the airframe will be reduced. This design utilizes technology similar to that used by European rail systems to propel ?bullet? trains. The benefits will be freeing the catapults from dependence on ship-generated steam, as well as an increase in available energy and a major reduction in both weight and volume. Consideration had been given to an internal combustion catapult that would utilize a combination of JP-5 and an oxidizer to propel the launch assist mechanism. A drawback to this system was the separate storage and piping systems required for the oxidizer, as well as the drain on JP-5 resources.



According to NavSource (http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/77.htm)

CVN-77, the 10th and final Nimitz-class carrier, will be a transition ship to the new CVNX project, and will incorporate new technologies and concepts applicable to CVNX (i.e., she will differ considerably from earlier Nimitz-class ships).


Contract awarded on 26 Jan 2001 to Northrop Grumman Newport News, Newport News, Va. Named on 9 Dec 2002. Keel laid on 6 Sep 2003. Christening scheduled for March 2006. Delivery to the Fleet is planned for March 2008.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: Ultra Quiet

Two types of ships put to sea - - Submarines and targets.

FTC (SS)

2 types of submariners , coners and nukes

oh, wait, then there are the A-gangers, i guess that is 2.5 types