Submarine Propulsion Table - 1st Attempt

Using much of Anonymous's input of November 19, 2017 and many websites I've put together the 1st Attempt at a Submarine Propusion Table.

Note that I have avoided detail of actual power outputs of diesels, motors and AIP because such output figures are variable and often disagree. Working out precise, official and universal power outputs would take forever - or maybe for the time being...

Much emphasis is on submarine propulsion of competitors to Western countries. Those competitors being mainly North Korea, China, Russia and maybe Iran.

There is much to change, correct and add to the Table, of course. Nuclear submarine propulsion needs adding.

If the text in the Table looks a bit small (and you have WORD 7 or more modern) just simultaneously press Ctrl and + to enlarge the text. Press Ctrl and - to shrink the screen back to its usual size.

So here is the 1st Attempt

Submarine Propulsion Table (as at November 22, 2017)

Country/ Company	Type/ Details	Diesel engine	Motor, AIP (if fitted)	Alternatives
North Korea	Golf / Sinpo class derivative	1 to 3 E390ZC-1? Russian Golf class given to NK with 3 × diesels originally		MTU 16V396SE84 or MAN SEMT Pielstick ?
China	Ming class, Type 033	1 x E390ZC-1		MTU 16V396SE84 or MAN SEMT Pielstick ?
China	Song class (Type 039) & Yuan class (Type 039A or 41)	Likely use 2 to 4 x MTU 16V396SE84 or 12 cylinder  MAN 12PA4V200SMDS page 6		16V diesel built by Yuchai Group see sources  A and B or MTU derivative likely, given China now has a MTU 4000 factory
Russia	Kilo class	2 to 4 1DL42 (ChN 30/38) last sentence& see whole document		Likely to use 2 to 4 x MTU 16V396SE84 ?
Russia	Lada/Amur class, just 1 testbed	1 or 2 x Kolomensky Zavod  V8D49 (and/or ED-2) ChN26/26	“on permanent magnets” AIP being developed
Iran	Kilo class	2 to 4 1DL42 (ChN 30/38) last sentence& see whole document
India	Kilo class	2 to 4 1DL42 (ChN 30/38) last sentence& see whole document
Germany TKMS	Type 212A 1998-still building	1  MTU 16V396SE84, PEM AIP	Siemens Permasyn youtube & last page ,AIP	MTU 12V4000U83 ?
Germany TKMS	Type 209, 214, 218, Dolphin, TR-1700, 1971 – still being built	1 to 4 MTU 16V396SE84	Siemens Permasyn last page AIP	MTU 12V4000U83 ?
Italy/ Fincantieri	Todaro Class 4 so far	1 or 2 MTU 16V 396,	Siemens Permasyn last page AIP
France, Naval Group (DCNS)	Scorpene for Chile, Malaysia, India, Brazil 2000 – still being built	4 x MTU 16V396SE84	Jeumont Schneider motor
Japan	Oyashio class	2 x Kawasaki 12V25/25S
Japan	Soryu class	2 × Kawasaki 12Ｖ25/25SB	AIP
Sweden	Gotland class	2 × MTU 16V396SE84	Stirling/Sterling AIP
Sweden	Sodermanland, Archer	2 × Hedemora Diesel	Stirling/Sterling AIP
Australia	Collins	3 × Garden Island-Hedemora HV V18b/15Ub (VB210) 18-cylinder	3 × Jeumont-Schneider, no AIP
Australia	Shortfin future class "12" but likely 6	See Rex Patrick’s APDR, Siemen’s Oct 2015 article likely 4 to 6 MTU or MAN diesels	no AIP?

Radio Satellite Messages NOT Likely From Submarine San Juan

I indicated  (on 18 November 2017) that submarine ( submarino ) ARA San Juan on 15 November 2017 “Likely Sunk With All Hands”. Despite some announcements from the Argentine Defense Ministry (providing some hope or comfort) it is still likely all or most of the crew have been lost.

The Argentine Defense Ministry reported “We received seven signals from satellite calls that originated from the San Juan submarine... The Defense Ministry...is working with an American company that specializes in satellite communication to determine the exact location of the signals."

The [signals] lasted between four and 36 seconds in the late morning and early afternoon on Saturday ([18 November 2017] local time). Apparently, and so far, these signals failed to establish San Juan’s location.

The US has sent one or two small deep submergence rescue submarine systems (see Photo 2 and Artwork below) to Argentina. These systems must be deployed from specially fitted-out ships to operate in the search area.

COMMENTS-2

As indicated in COMMENTS-1 yesterday Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacons EPIRBs form one means of search and rescue communication that San Juan likely has/had. San Juan may also have even more effective naval floating rescue buoys which may be attached by thin cable to San Juan and automatically released in the event of a serious accident or sinking. No crewman need be alive to release the buoy that then transmits messages/calls/signals automatically.

An EPIRB (see Photo 1 below) is a type of transmitter which can float. An EPIRB's signals, through satellite triangulation, can provide an approximate or exact location of the people or the craft, who manually or automatically turned on the EPIRB.

However, unfortunately an EPIRB/rescue buoy can float and transmit independently of the fate of San Juan:

-  an EPIRB/rescue buoy may have been automatically released by San Juan as San Juan fatally sunk

-  an EPIRB/rescue buoy would normally be programmed to send out regular distress signals, even if there are no human operators present

-  maybe it is possible some crew may be floating, maybe with an EPIRB

-  hopefully there is a thin cable (see Photo 1 below) connecting San Juan to an EPIRB/rescue buoy.

-  Such a thin cable may permit exact location of San Juan even if San Juan is on the seafloor

-  if there is no thin cable an EPIRB/rescue buoy may have floated many miles away from San Juan’s, likely seafloor, location

-  as EPIRBs only cost a few hundred dollars they are very commonly carried by ships and even small fishing boats. So their transmissions may not be related to the fate of San Juan.

[Regarding the final point above, The [UK] Guardian subsequently reported on 21 November, 2017: "None of the communications on Saturday [18 November 2017] were from the San Juan,” [Argentine Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi] told reporters. News of the attempted calls were disclosed on Sunday, but they turned out to be from another ship broadcasting on the same frequency employed by the San Juan, Balbi said."] 

Photo 1 - A floating Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacon EPIRB used to indicate location of a sailor in a raft. Note the thin cable connecting EPIRB to raft. If an EPIRB (or similar naval floating rescue buoy) is connected to San Juan there may be some hope. (Photo courtesy http://www.buratajiem.lv/vairak/drosiba-uz-udens/noderigi-padomi/item/240-epirb-izvele) .

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Photo 2 - Heavy US transport aircraft are reportedly delivering submarine rescue systems to Argentina. A remotely operated, deep diving, pressurized rescue module (PRM) may form part of a the San Juan rescue mission (Photo courtesy US Navy via USNI)

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Artwork - It is also likely the US Navy has flown Bluefin-21 or similar autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to Argentina to aid in the search for San Juan. AUVs can “see” submarines on the seafloor using side-scan sonar and other sensors. (Image courtesy General Dynamics Marine Systems).

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Submarine ARA San Juan was travelling north from Ushuaia to the main submarine base at Mar Del Plata when it vanished (Map courtesy the Daily Mail (Australia Edition).
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Pete

Argentine Submarine San Juan Likely Sunk With All Hands

See Submarine Matter's latest report on the San Juan tragedy at Some Hope San Juan Submarine Crew Sending Messages - But Unlikely, of 19 November 2017 - that is at http://gentleseas.blogspot.com.au/2017/11/some-hope-san-juan-submarine-crew.html

On Friday, 17 November 2017 it was announced the Argentine submarine ARA San Juan had not been heard from for over 48 hours. San Juan was in the southern Argentine sea 250 miles from Argentina's Patagonian coast when it sent its last signal on Wednesday, 15 November 2017 (Partly based on Wikipedia). Specifically San Juan last reported in when it was en route from the Ushuaia naval base to the Mar del Plata base (where Argentina's submarine force is home based).^[8] 

The search and rescue operations had been launched some 220 miles southeast of San Jorge Gulf.^[7]  The initial search and rescue operation was carried out by the destroyer Sarandi and the corvettes Rosales and Drummond, supported by two S-2E Tracker surveillance aircraft.^[9] A US P-3 Orion maritime patrol plane (equipped with a magnetometer, gravimeter, and other sensors) has joined the search^[12] and the UK has offered assistance in the form of a C-130 Hercules based in the Falkland Islands.^[13]

Brazilian website http://www.naval.com.br/blog/2017/11/18/ara-san-juan-aeronave-p-8a-poseidon-da-us-navy-vai-auxiliar-nas-buscas/ advised on 18 November 2017 that US military Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) directed the US Navy to deploy Poseidon P-8A multi-mission maritime aircraft to Bahia Blanca, Argentina, on 18 November to search for San Juan.

Through an Argentine news site https://www.elsol.com.ar/el-papa-alienta-los-esfuerzos-para-hallar-el-submarino-perdido Pope Francisco, who is Argentinian, encouraged efforts to find San Juan.

There are at least 44 people on board San Juan.^[10] Among them is Argentina's first female submarine officer, Eliana María Krawczyk.^[11]

COMMENTS-1

Generally and unfortunately submarines that have been "lost" for 2 to 3 days have sunk with all hands. Likelihood of it being sunk is partly because there are so many means of commmunication on a submarine, to indicate its "alive" including:
-  several types of radios that work to satellites (eg. US Government satellites and Inmarsat) and/or to
   Argentinian or foreign naval base stations
-  even in the unlikelihood of all radios failing San Juan could indicate its position by "pinging" its 
   active sonar(s) to maximum volume. This is a useful means of indicating a submarine's precise 
   position to listening "passive" sensors (eg. on naval ships) that are even hundreds of miles away.
-  when surfaced the submarine could fire flares and turn on its navigation lights day and night
-  when surfaced the submarine could activate military versions of  Emergency Position 
   Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs)
-  San Juan, if it can surface, can always contact passing surface ships, fishing boats or coastal 
   towns/villages 

ARA San Juan (S-42) is a TR-1700-class enlarged German TKMS designed derivative of the Type 209 conventional diesel-electric submarine.

Even though San Juan has had extensive upgrades its hull is old as it was completed in 1983. This means that the hull would be rusted/corroded and may suffer metal fatigue. It would have a more limited diving depth than when it was new.

Other than unintentionally diving too deep to crush depth a submarine can "sink" for many other reasons, including:
-  collision with the seafloor or a hard rock, with an iceberg or with a surface ship
-  crew mistakes in upsetting the buoyancy of a submarine can also be fatal
-  fire, explosion, flood or escape of poison gas can also occur due to malfunctioning of a sub's
   lead-acid batteries or torpedo propellant or warheads.

It is most likely that the Argentine Navy and Government knows San Juan was supposed to be "sailing" and what has likely happened to San Juan. But getting divers or a deep submergence submarine to San Juan on the seafloor may cause most of the delay before final judgements can be made. Also strong winds have been delaying search and rescue efforts. Then the Argentine Government will make the difficult decision to announce San Juan's fate.

All that pessimism aside I hope the crew of San Juan have survived.

Submarine ARA San Juan was travelling north from Ushuaia to the main submarine base at Mar Del Plata when it vanished (Map courtesy the Daily Mail (Australia Edition).

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ARA San Juan in happier times. (Photo courtesy Argentinian Government).

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Pete

Chinese, NK & Russian Designed Submarine Propulsion

After much frustrating work I've decided to steer away from tabulating propulsion information on Western designed submarines. This is due to the vast amount of conflicting information, from numerous, already existing, written sources.

Seeming conflicting information is partly due to:

-  There frequently being more than one diesel generator in a given sub – with the customer

    frequently deciding on the total number of diesels and their total power.

-  Put another way, different customer countries use different diesel generator, motor and AIP power

   outputs.

-  There are cruising speed/power "red lines" (surfaced, snorting and fully submerged) which, 

    if exceeded, could cause overheating over certain periods or excessive wear and shorter lives

    of engine parts.

-  Maximum diesel generator power output may be twice or more of the minimum.

-  Diesels may be run far lower than capacity – to reduce noise.

-  Essential use of diesel in snorkeling mode will likely reduce power output by 20%.

-  Diesel generators and the electric motors have different power output due to reduction gear or

   PSMS particulars.

-  Battery and/or AIP use has variable impacts on motor power output.

Much more interesting and useful is focus on the small amount of information on Chinese, North Korean and Russian designed submarine propulsion mixtures.

Pete

The Indo-Pacific Quadrilateral Rises Again

Australia's rising naval power (epitomised by the 2 LHDs and 3 AWDs) is being paralleled by its participation in the strategic Quadrilateral concept. The other 3 Quadrilateral members are the powerful maritime nations, US, Japan and India.

The Quadrilateral's prime purpose is to contain China's strategic expansion in the relatively newly labelled region "Indo-Pacific" (see map below). Within the "Indo" (Indian Ocean) Chinese surface ship and submarine visits have risen sharply in the last 5 years. China has also established a naval base at Djibouti, Africa, facing the Indian Ocean.

Within the Pacific China is of course building militarised South China Sea islands and bilaterally courting or pressuring, some Southeast Asian nations (Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and Malaysia). China may argue that this activity is all part of its oil-gas trade route One Belt One Road Initiative but the raw uncompromising militaristic flavour of China's advance demands containment by other Indo-Pacific countries.

The US, Japanese, Indian and Australian members of the Quadrilateral will most notably interact in naval exercises, but also quiet diplomatic meetings continue between them. 

If Trump had not dumped the TPP negotiations the Quadrilateral countries might have also formed a powerful economic grouping within the TPP. Instead the Chinese led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is proving successful while the TPP proposal collapses.

To make the Quadrilateral work Reality Twitter Trump needs to foster consistent US leadership.

As in 2007-2008 China may yet flex its economic muscles to break the Quadrilateral (the weakest link unfortunatly being Australia).

The Indo-Pacific Region, an expanse that well fits containment of China by Quadrilateral nations: Japan, India, Australia and the US.
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Pete