RU-2861309-C1 - DEEP-SEA MANNED STATION WITH LOW-POWER NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Abstract

FIELD: submarine shipbuilding. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to deep-sea manned stations with nuclear power plants of low power. A deep-sea station with a low-power nuclear power plant is configured to move by means of a controllable pitch propeller driven by a propeller shaft from a propeller shaft electric motor. In all modes of motion, the electric motor is powered from a battery pack via electrical networks connecting the battery pack to the propeller shaft electric motor. The batteries are configured to be recharged with electric energy from a low-power nuclear power plant, made in the form of a dual-circuit water-organic nuclear power plant, which includes a low-pressure water-cooled nuclear reactor, an organic Rankine cycle unit, interconnected by a low-pressure water circuit, and a nuclear plant electric generator. The dual-circuit water-organic nuclear power plant is made in the form of a single unit with biological protection against radiation. EFFECT: increasing the reliability and safety of operation of a low-power nuclear power plant and reducing its weight, increasing the efficiency of speed control and manoeuvrability of the deep-sea station, reducing the corrosive activity of the coolant vapour on the turbine blades of the second circuit, and creating a unified electric power system of the deep-sea station. 1 cl, 1 dwg

Inventors

• Kirillov Nikolaj Gennadevich

Dates

Publication Date

20260504

Application Date

20250715

Claims (1)

1. A deep-sea habitable station with a low-power nuclear power plant, having a displacement of up to one thousand tons and including a strong hull with portholes and a wheelhouse on which depth rudders are located, on the outer surface of the hull there is an external lighting system, fixed and movable television cameras, a multi-purpose gripper-manipulator for working with underwater objects, rotary thrusters and devices for landing on the ground, while inside the hull there is a household compartment for service personnel, a compartment with batteries, compartments with a set of electronic, computer and hydroacoustic equipment, compartments with elements of a dual-circuit low-power nuclear power plant containing a water-cooled nuclear reactor, a steam generator, a steam turbine, on the shaft of which an electric generator is located, characterized in that the deep-sea habitable station is made single-shaft with a propeller shaft on which a variable pitch propeller and an electric motor are located, and is equipped with a dual-circuit water-organic a nuclear power plant as a low-power nuclear power plant, manufactured as a single high-readiness unit with biological protection against radiation, and installed in a separate compartment behind the wheelhouse of a deep-water station containing a low-power water-cooled nuclear reactor, a nuclear power plant electric generator and an organic Rankine cycle plant with organic liquid as a second-circuit coolant, consisting of a steam turbine, a steam generator, a condenser and a pump for feeding organic liquid, wherein the propeller shaft electric motor is connected by electrical networks to a block of storage batteries, wherein the steam turbine of the organic Rankine cycle plant is located on the same shaft as the nuclear power plant electric generator, which is connected by electrical networks to a block of storage batteries, where a seawater main is laid through the condenser of the organic Rankine cycle plant, and a closed low-pressure water circuit with a pump is laid through the low-power nuclear reactor and the steam generator of the organic Rankine cycle plant, and a dual-circuit water-organic a nuclear power plant, a battery pack and a propeller shaft electric motor, interconnected by electrical networks, with the ability to form a single electric power system for a deep-sea habitable station, reliably providing both the electric propulsion of the deep-sea habitable station and the power supply of equipment located inside and outside the hull of the deep-sea habitable station.

Description

The invention relates to underwater shipbuilding, namely to deep-sea manned stations (mini-submarines) with nuclear power plants designed to study the seabed, measure temperature and directions of sea currents, and also to obtain various information for military, commercial and scientific use. A deep-sea vehicle is known to have a design consisting of a strong and light hull housing equipment, a propeller-rudder system with a power plant, and a battery located outside the strong hull (RU Patent No. 2746164, published on 04/08/2021, Bulletin No. 10). The disadvantage of this known technical solution is the following. While placing the battery outside the pressure hull allows for quick battery replacement with a spare set using a support vessel, the estimated time for this operation is at least 2-3 hours, which is comparable to the submersible's endurance. Therefore, the operation time is extended due to the need to either charge the battery or replace it, which takes considerable time. A deep-sea apparatus is known that has a strong hull, actuators and a battery, switching, protective and power distribution equipment, the battery and actuators are installed outside the strong hull, the switching, protective and power distribution equipment is installed outside the strong hull in a separate container connected by control cables to the apparatus operator's control panel installed in the strong hull, and by power cables to the actuators (Patent of the Russian Federation No. 2304544, published on 20.08.2007, Bulletin No. 23). The disadvantages of the analogue are the significant costs of electrical energy from a bulky battery and the lack of a source of renewable electrical energy. A submarine electric power system with an electrochemical generator and an electric propulsion unit is known, containing a diesel generator, a battery, an electrochemical generator, a propulsion electric motor, a matching converter, a control unit, a voltage sensor and current sensors (Patent of the Russian Federation No. 2167783, published on 27.05.2001, Bulletin No. 15). The disadvantage of this technical solution is that underwater electric propulsion is provided by an electrochemical generator, the operation of which requires a supply of hydrogen and oxygen on board the submarine, which increases the explosion and fire hazard of the power system and limits the duration of underwater movement. A known electric power system of a diesel-electric submarine includes a battery consisting of two groups connected to the power grid through automatic switches in the battery panels, two diesel generators, an electrochemical generator connected to each side of the power grid through a matching converter, an electric propulsion system consisting of a main propulsion electric motor and an economical speed electric motor, control panels with switching and protective equipment, distribution boards (V.S. Sokolov, B.V. Nikiforov et al. "Electrotechnical and radioelectronic systems of diesel-electric submarines", published by FSUE "TsKB MT "Rubin", 2005. - P. 94) This technical solution has the following main disadvantages: low battery capacity and, as a result, low stealth for the submarine's underwater movement; long battery charging time from the electrochemical generator due to its low power, etc. It is known that existing diesel submarines cannot be used for submerged research due to the limitations of prolonged submergence without surfacing to recharge batteries. Nuclear-powered mini-submarines overcome this drawback, making it promising to use specialized deep-sea nuclear oceanographic manned stations for scientific research and hydrographic work in polar regions, which eliminate the limitations on submerged navigation duration. The first nuclear-powered deep-sea oceanographic manned station in the history of oceanographic research and specialized underwater work was the American mini-submarine known as the NR-1. This mini-submarine, built in 1969, was designed for oceanographic and geological research, repair work, and the installation and maintenance of underwater equipment. It was equipped with a suite of electronic, computer, and hydroacoustic equipment that addressed navigation, communications, detection and identification of underwater objects, and the recovery of finds to the surface. The submarine was capable of studying the seabed, measuring temperature and current direction, and obtaining various information for military, commercial, and scientific use. For deep-sea work, the submarine was equipped with retractable wheels, three portholes, an external lighting system, fixed and movable television cameras, a multi-purpose grab-manipulator, a basket for samples, and auxiliary devices (V.A. Katenin. Features of Scientific Research and Hydrographic Work in High Latitudes Under Ice // Arctic: Ecology and Economics No. 2 (10), 2013. - Pp. 104-106). It is known that a number of mini-submarines are equipped with low-power nuclear power plan