USS Jimmy Carter (the "F/A-22" of submarines)

Just last February, the USS Jimmy Carter was commissioned. It is one of the Navy's three Seawolf-class nuclear submarines.

Most of the following is from Popular Science, but it is made public by the military.

Like the F/A-22, much of what it has is top secret, but it has a special propulsion design that uses a British-developed pumpjet. The details of propeller technology are top secret, because propellers are what generate a lot of noise, so a quiet propeller equates to a quiet submarine. Basically, the pumpjet works by the propeller sucking in water and spitting it out the back. Due to the spinning of the propeller, it makes the water twist and creates lots of bubbles, which are propelled out in the wake of the spinning blades. This creates lots of noise, so anti-swirl vanes are used to stop the swirling of the water and "kill" the bubbles.

The submarine can launch a special battery-powered mini-sub to carry Navy SEALS around. This new mini-sub differs in that it doesn't fill up with water as the older mini-subs do.

The sub can launch UAVs and can maneuver at speeds down to a tenth of a knot.

The most top-secret of the Jimmy Carter's capabilities is that it can tap the undersea fiber-optic cables that carry most of the world's data. The sub can hover above the ocean floor in place and launch small manned-vehicles designed for specifically this.

There are two other Seawolf-class submarines out there as well. The USS Jimmy Carter is designed for all forms of submarine warfare, but also for conducting lots of espionage.

Since the sub costs a few billion, and there are only three (and one Jimmy Carter) Seawolf-class subs, I'd imagine if they say the sub is capable of something (the military, not Popular Science necessarily ), it is capable of it. HOW it is capable of it is obviously classified, though. I am pretty sure Pop. Sci went by what the military said though.

I will look up some more sources on this.

I love submarines.

[edit on 4-8-2005 by EngineMan2145]

[edit on 4-8-2005 by EngineMan2145]

Yeah its kinda sad the name given her......








or



But in all seriousness, I bet she is a fine warship.....

Thank you for your post Ed, exactly what I expected.

I hate surprises.



BTW, I just made $10(Canadian though), keep up the predictabe work.

Why thank you.

If you notice the last statement that I posted I admit that she is one fine warship, possibly the most advanced sub in the world. Whats wrong with some humor? Heck it took me a while to find them.

isnt tne virginia class more advanced?

Originally posted by Char2c35tisnt tne virginia class more advanced?

They are not afloat yet and they are to be cheaper versions, the Seawolf was the Cadillac.

Wow, didn't know about this.

It sounds exactly like the fictional drive in The Hunt for Red October!

Cool

About the name, Carter served on a submarine...I think that's the only reason he got a ship named after him.

[edit on 8/4/2005 by djohnsto77]

Originally posted by djohnsto77
Wow, didn't know about this.

It sounds exactly like the fictional drive in The Hunt for Red October!

Cool

About the name, Carter served on a submarine...I think that's the only reason he got a ship named after him.

[edit on 8/4/2005 by djohnsto77]

Hmm I wouldnt be soo sure....

Impressive idea removeing the wake, I wonder how they will sort reactor noise....(before I get ripped apart by people "more in the know" about subs I just want to say that as far as I know they still produce the largest amount of noise...)

Originally posted by devilwasp
Impressive idea removeing the wake, I wonder how they will sort reactor noise....(before I get ripped apart by people "more in the know" about subs I just want to say that as far as I know they still produce the largest amount of noise...)

The pumpjet does not remove the wake. It works like a jet engine, water in becomes water out.

There is still a wake generated, it is what happens when you move an object through water.

BTW the Virginia class is no more or less advanced. She has a different tasking, which resulted in design compromises. Time will tell whether or not that class can perform as designed.

Yeah, I guess it's not exactly like that. I misread the part about sucking water in the front and expelling out the back...anyway it's still cool.

Originally posted by COOL HAND
The pumpjet does not remove the wake. It works like a jet engine, water in becomes water out.

Hmm so how is that quieter than a normal prop?
I mean they suck water in and then blow it out....

There is still a wake generated, it is what happens when you move an object through water.

Yeah I suppose I kinda forgot that little part of physics lol...thanks for comeing to the rescue...

The water and bubbles spinning in circles is what creates a lot of the noise. So the anti-swirl vanes kill the bubbles and stop the swirling, which reduces the noise.

Remember, the technology of that is top-secret, so I think it is a lot more than simply one propeller spinning with a fan spinning in the opposite behind it.

I agree with EngineMan that its probably much more than a simple prop or jetpump like a common jet ski or boat uses. It could be like a turbine for the water with many spinning blades. It proabably still makes a wake and some noise, just not nearly as much as a bubble generating conventional screw.

EngineMan, you said that anti-swirl vanes are used to stop the swirling of the water and "kill" the bubbles. I wonder if they can suck the bubbles up use the them??

I also wonder how they can tap into fiber optic cables without disrupting the signal and letting it be known that they are tapping in??? Do they actively tap the cable to grab the data, but do it so quickly that it only corrupts a minute amount of data or do they use some type of xray like technology to passively look into the cable and grab the signal by watching??


On the topic of submarines I have heard that modern spy sats can detect them by watching the waters surface or somthing. Does anyone know anything more about this?


One crazy thought about a sub I have had is if there was some way to maybe charge the water around the sub and cavitate the sub in water or makes the water stick to the sub if you will. Then you could move thru the water on a cushion of water. Would that ever work? I know they have torpedos that cavitate in air to go really fast. I wonder if you could cavitate a sub in a single bubble somehow because that would be the ultimatem but lots of bubbles would be no good.

[edit on 5-8-2005 by warpboost]

Originally posted by edsinger

Originally posted by Char2c35tisnt tne virginia class more advanced?

They are not afloat yet and they are to be cheaper versions, the Seawolf was the Cadillac.

USS Virginia - October 2004
USS Texas - June 2005

Seawolfs are basically just more heavily armed versions of Virginias.

Virginia class

[edit on 5-8-2005 by NWguy83]

I can still see a diesel boat being quieter especially an AIP boat - nuke boats still are noisy because of the reactor pumps

Originally posted by Harlequin
I can still see a diesel boat being quieter especially an AIP boat - nuke boats still are noisy because of the reactor pumps

But what happens when your in a diesel being tracked, and your batteries start running low and you need to start the diesel?




[edit on 5-8-2005 by warpboost]

Originally posted by Harlequin
I can still see a diesel boat being quieter especially an AIP boat - nuke boats still are noisy because of the reactor pumps

Not as true as you would think. Most reactors on lower power setting rely on natural convection to circulate cooling water. Only when they crank up the speed do the require circulation pumps. At least the US and UK subs do.

Originally posted by warpboost
I agree with EngineMan that its probably much more than a simple prop or jetpump like a common jet ski or boat uses.

Pop Sci has a good fold out on it. The shroud and fized vanes help reduce cavitaition or buble formation. When these bubles collapse they make noise.

I do not think you could supercavitate a whole sub and man would it be detectable as well.

Originally posted by warpboost

Originally posted by Harlequin
I can still see a diesel boat being quieter especially an AIP boat - nuke boats still are noisy because of the reactor pumps

But what happens when your in a diesel being tracked, and your batteries start running low and you need to start the diesel?

they`ll have to find it first - as an AUS diesel boat managed to sink a carrier not once but 3 times during an exercise , it got passed dedicated sub hunters AND several attack boats

Its down to the crew training , and luck - subs are small and oceans are BIG = lots of room to hide.

FredT - using low power setting - whats the best `underway` speed than can be attained?

Originally posted by Harlequin

Originally posted by warpboost

Originally posted by Harlequin
I can still see a diesel boat being quieter especially an AIP boat - nuke boats still are noisy because of the reactor pumps

But what happens when your in a diesel being tracked, and your batteries start running low and you need to start the diesel?

they`ll have to find it first - as an AUS diesel boat managed to sink a carrier not once but 3 times during an exercise , it got passed dedicated sub hunters AND several attack boats

Its down to the crew training , and luck - subs are small and oceans are BIG = lots of room to hide.

FredT - using low power setting - whats the best `underway` speed than can be attained?

OK, but what happens to a diesel when your at war, and cant refuel for whatever reason? How long could a diesel stay at sea without refueling? I'm not discrediting the capabilitues of a diesl I'm just trying to learn more. Thanks

[edit on 5-8-2005 by warpboost]