The project "Submarine ship maintenance" from SPMBM "Malachite"
According to various studies and plans related to the development of the Arctic, some of the urgent problems of a scientific and commercial nature cannot be solved with the help of surface systems. Ships or platforms will not always be able to work in specified areas, and therefore underwater complexes are of great importance. In particular, the development of underwater and under-ice systems for the development of oil and gas fields is proposed. Maintenance of such complexes can be assigned to special samples of underwater equipment.
Possible appearance of the PSO boat (the upper hangar with an underwater vehicle is open). Figure Hisutton.com
Back in 2017, the Malachit SPMBM for the first time spoke about its new development - the PSO project (“Submarine Maintenance Vessel”). By the time of the “premiere”, the shipbuilders formed the general appearance of such a vessel and issued a patent for it. All the main information about JI became public. The design office named the prerequisites for the appearance of the project, the goals of the new technology, general design features and design characteristics.
After the first publication of data on the JI project, almost two years have passed. During this time, any news about the future of the project did not appear. It remains unknown whether potential customers are interested in this project and whether it will be able to get out of the early stages. Nothing is known about plans to build a JIP either. It remains to be seen how soon accurate information on this matter will appear, and when it becomes known whether the construction of promising ships will begin.
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In the official information from the Malachite SPMBM regarding the promising JI project, the characteristic features of the Arctic region are noted, giving rise to the development of new technology. A considerable part of the northern water areas is covered with ice for long periods. In addition, there is often a difficult meteorological situation. All these factors can dramatically hinder the work of promising underwater oil or gas production complexes with the help of surface vessels.
In Malachite, it is believed that under conditions of ice preservation during 7 months in a year or in the presence of storms, a promising submarine with corresponding functions can become the best service for the under-ice or bottom-mining mining complexes. It is this kind of equipment that was developed as part of the JI project.
It is claimed that going under water will allow the maintenance vessel to get rid of the negative influence of a number of factors that impede work on the surface. Under water, the JIP literally hides from ice, wave, temperature and wind loads. In addition, a special submarine is able to work in close proximity to the serviced systems on the seabed. All this gives the most serious technical and operational advantages.
The main function of the PSO is the inspection and inspection of underwater objects of various kinds. The maintenance vessel will be able to work with wells, mining complexes, mineral transportation vehicles, etc. The possibility of using PSOs to monitor the status of underwater communication lines is also not excluded. With the help of this or that equipment, the underwater ship will be able to install, dismantle or repair underwater systems. Also, the submarine is planned to use in the course of emergency response or rescue operations.
The JI project proposes the construction of a special submarine capable of solving problems of a transport or industrial nature. The design of this vessel is based on already known and proven solutions, but has a number of important features related to the intended scope of application. The resulting submarine is significantly different from the existing samples for other purposes, having similar design features.
The submarine support vessel is proposed to be built according to the double-hull scheme. One of the main structural elements in this case is an internal robust housing that accommodates habitable compartments and all the main units. Due to the special purpose of the boat, the outer light hull should have a special design. JI to work in the northern seas, for which the light hull must meet the requirements of ice protection. To solve this problem, a special power set, relatively thick metal lining, as well as a special hull shape are offered. For example, the use of an inclined "ship" stem is envisaged. Ice category of the vessel as a whole - Arc5.
Above the deck above the light hull the wheelhouse, retractable devices and their fence should rise. In the aft part of the fence is proposed to provide a hangar for the transport of various underwater vehicles. At the rear of the hull, engineers positioned horizontal and vertical planes with rudders, as well as a pair of propellers in the annular channels.
Robust bulkheads are divided into five compartments; almost all of them are further divided into three decks. The first compartment contains the central post and a part of special equipment necessary for the solution of the assigned tasks. The upper decks of the second compartment are reserved for crew quarters, while the lower one provides for the installation of a diving complex with a lock chamber with access to the bottom of the vessel. The third compartment accommodates domestic and technical premises and devices. The fourth station contains a nuclear power plant and associated equipment. In the aft fifth compartment, engineers have placed running engines, steering systems, etc.
The project provides for the use of a nuclear reactor with a capacity of 4 MW. The main consumers of energy should be the two main propulsion power of 1,3 MW each. To improve maneuverability in the fore and aft parts of the light hull additional thrusters are provided. With the help of the proposed power plant, the PCP will be able to reach speeds up to 13 nodes in the surface position and 12 nodes in the underwater position. The range of navigation will be limited only by provisions, and the estimated autonomy is determined at the level of 30 days.
The crew and onboard equipment of the JIP will be able to solve a wide range of tasks using different tools. So, the boat will be able to ensure the work of divers. A set of equipment is intended for them, including a gateway and a pressure chamber. Divers will be able to leave the ship and return through the hatch in the bottom. Working at depth, divers will be able to use a variety of tools and instruments. You can also count on the help of the submarine itself: a lifting device is located in the nose of the light hull, providing lifting or transporting large and heavy objects.
An interesting feature of the JI project is the possibility of using a large number of underwater vehicles of different classes, both manned and crewless. The aft part of the cabin fence is designed as a hangar for a manned underwater vehicle. For its output to the outside of the hangar dome is in the form of a split bivalve structure. The underwater vehicle's airlock device is connected to the hatch of the submarine hull, which provides direct communication between them. Type of habitable underwater vehicle for use with JI is not specified. He will have to choose when discussing the project with the customer.
There are several other smaller hangars designed for crewless underwater vehicles with remote control. One of them is placed under the deck of the light hull near the nose. The second one was placed under the bottom of the robust case at the third compartment. Of particular interest is the device for placement and release of underwater vehicles, located in the first compartment. It is made in the form of a transverse pipe of asymmetrical arrangement, the end of which is brought to the left side of the hull.
The number, types and purpose of remotely controlled underwater vehicles should be determined in accordance with the purpose of the JIP and its intended functions. The existing project may impose some restrictions, but we can not exclude the possibility of its refinement to the requirements of a particular customer who wants to use certain systems.
The JI project is designed solely for the benefit of civilian industries. Submarines of this type can be used in scientific research, as well as in the construction of various objects in difficult areas and for their further maintenance. Military use of the vessel is not provided. The project does not imply its equipment with any weapons. It is noteworthy that the absence of armaments made it possible to optimize the use of the internal volumes of the two buildings and successfully solve a number of design problems.
In the proposed form, “Submarine maintenance vessel” from SPMBM Malakhit has a length of 82,5 m with a maximum width of 10,4 m and a draft of 8,3 m. Normal displacement is 3 thousand tons. The working depth is defined in 400 m, the highest speed is 14 nodes. The submarine will be operated by a crew of 35 people. Due to the special design of the two hulls, the ship will be able to work in difficult arctic conditions, solving problems both when diving and on the surface. In this case, the main part of the work, according to the proposal of the design bureau, should be carried out precisely under water.
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Over the past years, our country has been increasing its military and economic presence in the Arctic. Infrastructure is being developed, new facilities are being deployed, and preparations are being made for future construction. Particular attention is paid to the issues of mining. The region is characterized by the characteristic difficult natural conditions, which does not always allow the use of waste solutions and makes it necessary to look for new ones.
In the context of mining on the Arctic shelf, various proposals are considered. In particular, in remote areas with difficult ice conditions it is proposed to build not traditional production platforms, but underwater complexes with similar functions. For their construction and maintenance may be needed special equipment, including not yet existing.
In recent years, Russian shipbuilders have proposed several projects of special vessels capable of solving special tasks in the Arctic Ocean and its seas. First of all, this is the JI project from SPMBM "Malachite". The TsDB MT Rubin and the Lazurit CDB also presented their versions of scientific or industrial submarines. In this case, we are talking not only about individual samples, but also about the concepts of entire industrial complexes.
However, so far all these projects should be attributed, at least, to the medium term. The industry is in no hurry to order the proposed mining complexes and submarines for their maintenance. New samples of unusual classes still remain on paper, and their real fate has not yet been determined. They receive high marks from experts and industry representatives, but it has not yet come to real orders.
It is possible that this situation will change in the near future. However, even in this case, the real results of the projects on the type of JI from SPMBM "Malachite" will have to wait several years. The project needs further elaboration, including taking into account the wishes of the customer, after which one of the shipbuilding enterprises will have to master the assembly of a completely new equipment. The test cycle of a fundamentally new sample will also take some time. As a result, the economy will receive a new instrument with remarkable opportunities, but this will not happen today or tomorrow.
In general, the project of a submarine ship maintenance JI and other similar developments are very interesting and promising. With the help of such technology in the future, the domestic industry will be able to increase the efficiency of its work in the Arctic and simplify the solution of emerging problems. Nevertheless, before obtaining such results, a number of important problems have to be solved, new programs should be formed and a lot of other work should be carried out. As a result, the implementation of the JI project may be postponed for some time. However, the fact that the promising submarine is still on paper may have positive sides. The presence of a nearly finished project can seriously accelerate the implementation of newly adopted plans.
Based on:
http://malachite-spb.ru/
http://hisutton.com/
https://tass.ru/
https://thebarentsobserver.com/
https://edrid.ru/rid/218.015.ff74.html
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