How Long Can a Submarine Stay Underwater?

One of the most striking features of the submarine is its ability to stay under water for a long time. Moreover, it is perfectly hidden from the enemy and can be used in military operations or to underwater research They make a great contribution.

Especially when used for military purposes, when they emerge from underwater, they can become defenseless and come under enemy fire. Alright without ever coming to the surface of the water, How long can they stay safely?

There are two types: diesel-electric submarine and nuclear submarine.

The nuclear submarine produces energy using a nuclear reactor. These reactors allow the submarine to remain submerged for long periods of time because nuclear fuel long lasting and a concentrated source of energy. It allows you to stay under water for months.

Diesel-electric submarines, as the name suggests, operate using diesel engines and electric motors and are more powerful than nuclear submarines. It needs to surface more.

So why does a diesel-electric submarine need to surface and how often does this happen?

A diesel-electric submarine; It surfaces every few days, sometimes even more often. It does this not only to provide atmospheric oxygen from above the water surface, but also to waste gases produced on the ship He does it to throw it away.

The device known as “snorkel” allows the submarine to take air from the water surface. When the submarine surfaces, its diesel engines start and produce power. That power, to recharge the batteries that power the submarine. is being used.

In the nuclear submarine, the situation is much more advanced.

The reactor on the nuclear submarine produces enough power to run all electronic and electrical systems. Therefore, without ever coming to the surface for days, weeks, months or even years can move. Although no example has been seen, submarine reactors theoretically produce enough power to last for decades.

In a nuclear submarine enough to keep the crew alive for a long time As long as there is a stock of materials, it can continue to operate underwater for decades without surfacing. Of course, since such a situation is unlikely for the crew, we have not seen any examples of it so far.

Moreover, even if this problem does not exist, since the submarine is a machine, its electrical, mechanical and hydraulic systems may cause problems over time and needs maintenance. Therefore, we can say that even though they have the capacity to stay under water for years, other factors will prevent this.

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