Chapter 225 Titanium Alloy Submarine

"Our Shenzhou floating dock has also arrived. The time is just right." When Qin Tao stepped off the huge Kuznetsov, he was pleasantly surprised to find that a huge ship had been moored on the pier in the distance. The floating dock, with the flying phoenix characters on the side, is very clear.

There was no delay at all during this period, just in time for the Shenzhou floating dock to arrive.

Thinking of what happened along the way, Yang Xi was filled with emotion. With Mr. Qin, everything is possible. They successfully visited the entire Kuznetsov and listened to the confrontation outside. Later, the Northern Fleet came to respond. The warships arrived, and the Americans had to leave in anger.

 Along the way, he has seen too many things. After leaving the nuclear submarine, he did not expect that he would still have this kind of opportunity. It was really rare.

At this time, Yang Xi sighed while watching Uskimenko walking towards them with a person.

"Mr. Qin, let me introduce you. This is Kanishevsky. He is responsible for the scrap iron in the north of Kola Port. He will take you there." Uskimenko said.

After getting this heavy-duty aircraft-carrying cruiser back, there were still many things to do, so Uskimenko went to work. Before leaving, he personally introduced the person in charge to Qin Tao, showing his respect for Qin Tao. of attention.

“Okay, thank you.” Qin Tao said to Uskimenko, and then looked at Kanishevsky: “Thank you for your hard work, please take us over to have a look.”

Several people got into a Lada car and headed along the Kola Peninsula. After walking for an hour, they arrived at a desolate pier.

Surrounded by white snow, a dark green train appeared on the flat land. This train was still an ancient steam engine. It gasped for breath and dragged four flatbed cars away. On each flatbed, there were There was a steel tank placed, and on the side that was not covered with snow, a skull logo could be faintly seen.

"Those things..." Yang Xi said in surprise, but did not continue.

"I guess the items transported inside are dismantled items from the nuclear submarine reactor." Qin Tao said, "These items were transported away and buried deep underground in an uninhabited area, right?"

  Kanishevsky nodded: "Yes, you are right, this train runs every three months..."

At this point, Kanishevsky also stopped, and he shouted to the driver: "Ivan, please drive the car slower, let's stay away from that guy, you didn't see the extra installation on our car Is your Geiger counter ticking numbers right now?”

 Ivan stepped on the brakes.

After the train started to leave, it stopped for another three to five minutes before continuing on the road, passing through the railway entrance, and continuing forward.

Retired nuclear submarines, like sharks, floated side by side next to the port. It was a freezing day, and the parts of the nuclear submarines that were exposed to the water were covered with a thick layer of white snow, but the seawater next to them did not freeze. It looks very weird.

“The submarines here have all had their nuclear reactors dismantled and are already the safest. Therefore, I suggest you choose scrap metal from here. Your Excellency Uskimenko has told us not to treat our good friends badly.”

This can be regarded as a coincidence. If he hadn't had the experience of driving a warship back with Uskimenko, I guess Lao Maozi would strongly recommend bringing a nuclear reactor. After all, they don't want to deal with nuclear waste. Qin Tao might still You have to accept it, but now, the relationship between the two parties has become more friendly, so the priority is to choose from the nuclear submarines with the reactor dismantled.

"This is also a nuclear submarine? Is it too small?" Yang Xi pointed at a submarine in front and said.

Yang Xi is a submarine soldier and is very familiar with all kinds of submarines. The submarine in front of him has a very smooth shape. Even the command tower is perfectly integrated with the submarine body. It is quite beautiful.

 But, is it too small? According to visual estimates, it is about two to three thousand tons. Now even ordinary diesel-electric submarines can mostly reach this displacement. Nuclear submarines are at least five to six thousand tons.

 However, Qin Tao couldn't help but get excited after seeing it: "If I guessed correctly, it should be a Type 705 nuclear submarine, right?"

  Kanishevsky nodded: "Yes, it is our second-generation nuclear submarine."

Yang Xi then reacted: "Titanium alloy..."

Before he finished speaking, Qin Tao stepped on him and shut up.

“We want this submarine at the scrap metal price!”

Unexpectedly, I picked up a treasure when I came up. I actually encountered a titanium alloy submarine. I bought titanium alloy at the scrap price!

 In later generations, titanium alloys have become commonplace. Even spectacle frames can be made of titanium alloys, which are lightweight and durable. This is also an advantage of titanium alloys.

Specifically, the density of pure titanium is about 4.5 grams per cubic centimeter, which is only about half that of carbon steel. However, the ratio of tensile strength to density reaches 62, and after alloying, it reaches more than 200, while the ratio of ordinary carbon steel The value is only 36.

In other words, under the same performance, using titanium alloy to build a submarine can greatly reduce the weight of the submarine itself. Under the same weight, the submarine will be very strong and can dive into deeper water.

At the same time, the low magnetism of titanium alloy itself can help submarines better conceal themselves underwater and avoid detection by geomagnetic detectors. Therefore, from the characteristics of the material itself, titanium alloy is suitable as a manufacturing material for submarines.

 However, except for the use of titanium alloys in aerospace, submarines of other countries have never seen the use of titanium alloys.

 The advantages are outstanding, but the disadvantages are even more prominent!

 The first disadvantage is that it is expensive. In the era of building 705-class nuclear submarines, the price of titanium alloy plates per kilogram was as high as 14.5 rubles! Not only is it expensive, but it is also complex to process, because the ability of pure titanium and titanium alloys to absorb hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen increases significantly after high temperatures, which ultimately leads to the welded joint becoming significantly brittle and the mechanical properties severely reduced. Therefore, titanium alloys cannot be welded in the air and need to be protected or even in a vacuum environment.

 The welding of titanium alloys for aircraft engines requires welders to wear full suits and get into a fully enclosed welding workshop, just like astronauts. However, it is impossible to build such a large sealing workshop for welding submarines.

 So, welding is difficult.

 Lao Maozi’s first titanium alloy submarine was the Type 661, which took more than ten years to build. And, being an experimental submarine, only one was ever built.

Type 705 is the second titanium alloy submarine.

 Nuclear submarines, why do they only have a displacement of two to three thousand tons? Not because it has to be made of titanium alloy! It’s so expensive, so difficult to weld, and it’s too big. How much will it cost and how long will it take?

Lao Maozi also has to calculate the cost. Therefore, this type 705 submarine has an underwater displacement of just over 3,000 tons. It is simply the younger brother of nuclear submarines. However, relying on the 48-OT3 titanium alloy pressure-resistant hull, it is more powerful than ordinary submarines. When it can only dive two to three hundred meters, its diving depth can reach 400 meters. Although it cannot be compared with the 685 submarine that is more than 1,000 meters long, it is still very powerful in this era. Yes.

The size of the submarine is smaller, and other components have to be shrunk. Although the ordinary pressurized water reactor is safe, it is too large. Therefore, it uses the VT-1 lead-bismuth liquid lead-bismuth metal reactor improved from the Type 661 submarine. , small in size and powerful in power, it has successfully allowed this submarine to travel at an underwater speed of more than forty knots, even faster than some torpedoes, so when it encounters a blow, it can still rely on endurance like the MiG-25 win.

 But the shortcomings are also huge. Whether it is titanium alloy or liquid reactor, they are too advanced technologies, and these technologies mean risks.

During the service of the 705 submarine, there were many accidents abroad. For example, the first submarine K-64 was found to have cracks in the pressure hull before it was put into service in 1971. In 1972, the reactor cooled and solidified. In 1974, it was decommissioned and dismantled. Got it.

 The K-123 boat suffered a leakage accident in the primary circuit of the reactor in 1982, causing the entire boat to suffer nuclear contamination.

At the beginning, Lao Maozi built a total of seven submarines of the same model, but none of them survived normally. After they all joined the Northern Fleet, they basked in the sun on the dock all year round and were unable to go to sea to perform missions.

 So, last year, all Type 705 submarines were decommissioned and placed on the dock.

If it were another submarine, just throw it here and it would be fine. However, the Type 705 submarine is different. It uses a liquid metal reactor!

 What’s the problem with this?

 The problem is big! Except for mercury, ordinary metals are solid at room temperature. Therefore, after the 705 submarine's nuclear reactor is assembled, it must be in operation all the time, and the heat inside must keep the metal in the pipes in a liquid state.

 Other nuclear submarines can just shut down their reactors, but this kind of submarines can just shut down their reactors.

 So, other decommissioned nuclear submarines can be placed here to bask in the sun and wind. However, the Type 705 is different. After this type of submarine docks at the dock, the reactor must be dismantled and taken away.

 So, it definitely does not have a nuclear reactor, and it saves Qin Tao a lot of trouble. However, only this one is not enough.

“Is there any scrap metal of the same type as it?” Qin Tao asked Kanishevsky.

"This K-316 is the first ship to be dismantled. Currently, K-463 is being dismantled. It will probably take a few days." Kanishevsky glanced into the distance, here Although it is a submarine cemetery, there are still workers working. The lonely dock in the distance is equipped with cranes and other equipment to dismantle nuclear reactors.

Qin Tao nodded: "Then let's wait a few more days. After dismantling them, we will take away both submarines." Qin Tao said: "Next, let's see if there are any other suitable scrap metal. "

 At the scrap iron price, if you buy two 705 submarines, you will make a lot of money from this business. The titanium alloy material used in a 705 nuclear submarine is 600 tons! Qin Tao was delighted.

In addition to making money, the appearance design of this nuclear submarine is also quite good. If you take it back and study it, it may also bring inspiration to the designers of nuclear submarines.

Qin Tao won't need it anyway. His Mingzhou Shipyard doesn't have the ability to tinker with things like nuclear reactors, at least for the time being.

In addition to titanium alloy and liquid reactors, this type 705 nuclear submarine also has other technologies. For example, in terms of power supply, it uses a specialized 400 Hz, 380 volt AC power system, and an ordinary 50 Hertzian circuits are completely different, improving the efficiency of alternating current and reducing the size of various electronic components. You can take it back and study it.

 There are also automated attack systems, etc., which are all good.

My own floating dock is very large, so it is not suitable to bring only two small submarines. Anyway, I will go there and see if there are any other scrap metal.

However, all good luck seems to have run out, and none of the remaining submarines are attractive. They are all old-fashioned first-generation submarines with nothing useful inside, just pure scrap metal.

“I heard that one of your Type 941 submarines had an accident during the exercise?” Qin Tao thought of the Typhoon class and couldn’t help but ask Kanishevsky.

“Yes, there was no explosion at that time. It was really lucky. The Shark was sent back to the Severodvinsk Shipyard for repairs.”

Like other nicknames, Typhoon was given by NATO. Lao Maozi calls the Typhoon-class nuclear submarine Shark.

There are many shipyards in Laomaozi. The 444th Shipyard in Nikolaev City is well-known to everyone because it can build aircraft carriers. However, before this shipyard built aircraft carriers, it was not even ranked in Laomaozi. . After all, the Baltic Sea was what Tsarist Russia valued most.

There are two nuclear submarine production plants in Lao Maozi, the largest of which is the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg (also called the Admiralty Shipyard, the 194th Shipyard). This factory was established in 1704 and has a long history. After the end of World War II, It produces various conventional submarines and nuclear submarines.

The two titanium alloy submarines that Qin Tao wants to buy now are masterpieces of the Navy Department Shipyard.

In addition to this factory, there is the Severodvinsk Shipyard. The famous Typhoon-class submarine comes from this shipyard. These two are also the only shipyards in Lao Maozi that can weld titanium alloy nuclear submarines.

At this time, thinking of the Typhoon-class nuclear submarine, Qin Tao also felt itchy. He said to Kanishevsky: "I wonder if we have a chance to visit the Severodvinsk Shipyard?"

  Kanishevsky shook his head: "I'm sorry, there are top secrets of our navy there, you can't go."

 Lao Maozi attached great importance to nuclear submarines. Later, when Mao was in the most difficult situation, he eliminated a large number of warships. However, he still squeezed out funds from his teeth to complete the construction of new nuclear submarines.

Now, it is impossible for Qin Tao to visit the nuclear submarine manufacturing plant. After all, he is here to collect rags, not for tourism. Kanishevsky did not accept such a request.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I was too abrupt. Please accept this small gift." Qin Tao said, and took out another gold watch, which was exactly the same as the one given to Uskimenko.

Kanishevsky's eyes lit up when he saw the gold watch. He put the watch to his ear and listened carefully to the sound inside. Then, he wanted to bite the shell of the gold watch with his teeth, but in front of him Qin Tao looked a little embarrassed.

 Since you have taken something, of course you have to help.

Kanishevsky thought for a while and then said: "It is impossible to visit the Severodvinsk Shipyard, but there is a Nekhba Shipyard near us. I and the people there I am very familiar with it and can take you in for a tour. There is currently a Type 949 nuclear submarine undergoing maintenance there."

Don’t even think about the Type 941 Typhoon-class nuclear submarine. After all, the confidentiality level of the Severodvinsk Shipyard is quite high. However, the confidentiality level of the Nekhba Shipyard located on the Kola Peninsula is not that high. Moreover, because it is located in They are nearby, so they often move around each other. Kaniszewski is very familiar with it and can take Qin Tao there to have an eyeful.

 That’s right, it’s just an eye candy. It’s impossible to take back those submarines as scrap metal.

ˆ Qin Tao Diandian: “Thank you very much.”

 You can’t watch Typhoon-level movies, but you can also watch Oscar-level movies. Qin Tao is quite satisfied with this arrangement.

After all, he still had to wait for another submarine to dismantle the reactor and take it away together, so Qin Tao was not in a hurry. He could still walk around in the past few days.

 I brought two gold watches, and gave one to Kanishevsky in front of me. It was considered a waste of money. I hope he won't let me down.

Several people sat in a Lada car and headed towards the Neheba Shipyard.

Under the aura of countless large shipyards in the Soviet Union, Nekhba Shipyard has always been unknown. However, because it is located on the Kola Peninsula, it also has unique advantages.

  It is more of a ship repair yard than a shipyard. If the warships of the Northern Fleet have minor problems, they will choose to repair them here.

In the late 1990s, as more and more nuclear submarines were decommissioned by Lao Maozi, the potential risks were also increasing. Therefore, in order to avoid getting burned, several nearby countries donated money to help Lao Maozi solve the problem of nuclear submarines. Neheba Shipyard has also begun to dismantle decommissioned nuclear submarines. However, the processing speed is still very slow, and some problems occasionally occur.

 The Lada sedan drove into the Neheba Shipyard easily, without even being checked by the guard at the door. He was obviously very familiar with the car.

The car drove quickly to the side of the dock. When a few people got out of the car, the huge Type 949 nuclear submarine was under construction inside the dock.

The shipyard here looks worse than the Mingzhou Shipyard that has not yet prospered. When he saw the construction scene in the dock, Qin Tao felt like he couldn't laugh or cry.

On the way here, he kept thinking that this Oscar nuclear submarine, unlike the titanium alloy submarine, is very mature! I have never heard that it needed to be repaired in the dock in 1991. What happened?

Now that he saw the construction scene, he realized that the so-called construction was actually re-pasting those fallen silencer tiles!

As a behemoth with a displacement second only to the Typhoon class, it is like a huge shark. Since anti-ship cruise missiles are deployed on both sides, its cross-section is not the circular cross-section of an ordinary nuclear submarine. Some of it looks like a belt with A square with four arc transition corners, people can stand on it without worrying about falling.

"This is the second 949 nuclear submarine, the Murmansk." Obviously Kanishevsky is very familiar with it, and introduced to Qin Tao: "It has been in service for nearly ten years, and some of the silencer tiles on it have fallen off, so now it is reinstalled. Paste.”

　　A nuclear submarine that has lost its silencer tiles looks very shabby, just like a fish that has lost its scales, and looks like huge scars.

In order to achieve a good mute effect, silencer tiles are laid on the surface of the submarine to prevent the spread of sound. However, these things are not so tightly attached to the steel shell, so it is common for them to fall off.

  You shouldn’t feel that you are lagging behind just because the silencer tiles on Lao Maozi’s submarines have fallen off. The silencer tiles on American and British nuclear submarines have all been found to have fallen off in large areas, and some can even see large areas of rust after falling off. When it comes to silencer tile technology, Lao Maozi should be the most advanced, after all, they were the first to research it. As for the island country in the east, because they couldn't figure out the problem of pasting, they simply fixed it with screws, which was another way.

 Submarines that have been in service for nearly ten years are normal for some silencer tiles to fall off. Only when the peeling area reaches a certain level do they need to be reattached.

Now the surface of this submarine is full of pits and even large areas are peeling off. If it is just the upper part that is peeling off, it can be operated directly in the port. However, the side and lower parts cannot be operated and must be repaired in the dock.

Standing on the dock, looking at this huge submarine, Yang Xi's eyes were full of envy.

The space of ordinary submarines is small, so the sailors sleep in hot bunks. Because the sailors work three shifts, there are always people sleeping on the beds, hence the name. If there are guests, they can only go to the torpedo room to set up hammocks. , even sailors who sleep in hot bunks like to live in the torpedo room, after all, it is spacious.

However, this is not the case with the nuclear submarine in front of us. Its huge displacement gives it a spacious interior space, which can be luxuriously divided into single and double rooms. Even the most ordinary sailors can live in four-person rooms.

“Yes, the outer silencer tiles are easy to stick, but the inner silencer tiles are not easy, right?” Qin Tao said.

 A layman can watch the excitement, while an expert can watch the door.

 Most of Lao Maozi's submarines are double-hulled. (It seems that titanium alloy submarines are single-hulled?) By the time they developed into Oscar-class nuclear submarines, Lao Maozi's technology was already superb. They laid silencer tiles on the inner outer shell. The inner shell was mainly to prevent internal noise leakage. , the outside is to reduce reflected signals, and even their latest silencer tiles, like dolphin skin, can also reduce the resistance of water and achieve higher speed underwater.

At this time, Qin Tao said this, and it was also a pun. If you take us to see it, are you just going to see the work of the masons outside? We have to go in and take a look!

"Yes, the ones inside are difficult, but the ones inside generally don't fall very much. The large areas outside that fell are also because of a scratch." Kaniszewski said: "Now, I will take the You go inside and have a look."

For the price of a gold watch, it was appropriate to take these people in for a look. Kanishevsky greeted the people working on the dock, and then took Qin Tao and Yang Xi in.

Yang Xi was extremely excited. He had seen the aircraft carrier and now wanted to see the submarine. This time he came out at the right time!

This kind of situation will never happen in China. After all, the domestic confidentiality policy is very strict. If someone dares to bring a friend to visit, it is estimated that they will have to go in and eat steamed buns for several years. If this friend happens to have ulterior motives, maybe You also have to eat peanuts.

 However, Lao Maozi’s place is really too chaotic.

 As long as they are given some benefits, they can leak their country’s military secrets!

 (End of this chapter)