Introduction
Since their invention many years ago, ocean-going vessels have always been plagued by the turbulence they create. Water is around a thousand times thicker than air, and logically induces a thousand times more drag on any object traveling through it. The results are... Slow speeds. Conventional surface ships and submarine speed have always been limited to no more than forty or fifty mph. Supercavitation removes all these limits on speed...
Supercavitation occurs when an object moving though water reaches speeds beyond sixty plus knots. If the object has a correctly shaped ‘cavitator’ on its nose, a bubble of air starts to form around the object. This extends to cover the entire object, and hence the object is no longer moving through water, but through air, which creates but a fraction of the friction. Hence Supercavitational craft are capable of racing at high speed on or below the surface of the ocean.
Traveling in a bubble kills off all traditional marine propulsion techniques. Propellers spinning in air isn’t much good after all. The only engines that work are the same ones, which power our ships to the stars. Rocket engines. Supercavitational craft are high speed, highly maneuverable rocket powered fighters. Supercavitation utilizes the phenomena of cavitation, so it essential to understand what it is when looking at supercavitation.
Cavitation
Cavitation is an old problem, which has plagued ship designers for decades. It is caused by fast moving objects in water with sharp edges such as propellers spinning quickly and causing an actual change in the physical state of the water around them, leading to both damage and inefficiency.
This happens because the faster a propeller spins, the lower the water pressure around it becomes. If this pressure falls fast enough, then the water reaches its ‘vapor pressure’, at which, like boiling water, it vaporizes and forms small bubbles of gas. Unlike bubbles caused by heat though, the bubbles are unstable, and implode violently when their pressure changes. This implosion can cause extensive damage to vessels, and to a submarine which still runs in a world of ‘run silent run deep’ this kind of implosion can cause potentially deadly noise.
Supercavitation rather than fighting the process of cavitation exploits it to create a near frictionless environment for a craft to travel in. Instead of trying to avoid or minimize cavitation, it attempts to create a renewable large bubble, a ‘Super-cavitational bubble’ that is designed to totally envelope the craft and thus make it travel within the bubble of air.
The breakthrough speed at which this occurs is at one hundred-thirty km/h, (in or around 70 knots). At this speed, with a correctly crafted nose the pressure of the water at the tip of the vessel drops sharply, and starts to change the water coming into contact with it from its liquid form to its gaseous one. As this happens a bubble begins to form, extending back along the craft.
A Supercavitational craft has a nose with a specially designed ‘cavitator’ which extends the bubble and makes it stable. The size and length of the bubble is dependant on speed, although its size can be increased by ‘ventilated supercavitation’. In ventilated supercavitation, air is pumped into the bubble to increase its size and ensure that it covers the entire supercavitating projectile. The Shkval torpedo for example, uses ventilated supercavitation by redirecting part of the exhaust gases from its rocket engines through outlets near the nose of the torpedo.
The Thresher is the next step in the evolution of Submersible Warfare. Unlike it's sister ships before it, the Thresher is even faster and and capable of greater stealth, with the ability to travel at high speed underwater for thousands of miles undetected. Crossing all the advantages of a ground base and a submarine, and throwing in the speed of a jet fighter, the Thresher will further advance the development of this technology as the basis generation of future models to come.
Unlike a sub fighter, the Thresher cannot be limited by range. To be effective it needs the ability to travel great distances underwater, and to complete tours without the need to refuel. Moving such a large object underwater would require vast amounts of rocket fuel. Luckily for the Thresher, the fuel is all around it! Seawater is made up of Hydrogen and Oxygen. Hydrogen is the most energetic rocket fuel there is. The Thresher’s fusion reactor provides the energy to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen, allowing the submarine to burn hydrogen in its rocket engines and giving the craft effectively unlimited range.
By its very revolutionary nature, supercavitation has presented an entire new range of problems to overcome in designing these new high-speed underwater craft, especially with regards to guiding them.
Steering
Guidance presents one of the largest obstacles for supercavitating craft. Early versions were thought to be ‘straight shooters’ capable only of flying in a straight line. Supercavitational bullets are also by their very nature unguided. The ability to successfully steer a Supercavitational craft presents perhaps the most difficult aspect of fully utilizing the technology. Any control surface within the bubble will have little or no affect on the direction of the craft.
Steering a Supercavitational craft creates the dual problems of both having to steer the bubble, and manipulating the bubble when turning to keep the craft in the supercavity. The latter is essential since if the fuselage were to come into contact with the ocean outside the bubble, then the force of suddenly hitting a wall of water would instantly crush it.
The solution to steer the bubble is accomplished using wing like ‘fins’, which extrude from the fuselage and extend beyond the Supercavitational bubble. Whilst these cause some increase in friction, they have the far greater benefit of allowing the Supercavitational bubble to be steered. The fins operate as control surfaces, which steer the bubble, and have the additional benefit of stabilizing the craft within the inherently unstable Supercavitational bubble.
The ability to control and manipulate the Supercavitational bubble is also essential in both increasing maneuverability and to stop the crushing of the craft as it turns. The bubble creating cavitator at the nose of the craft is capable of quickly changing its position and angle to both ensure the bubble is always encasing the craft and to compensate for varying water pressure as the craft’s depth changes.
Steering is aided through the use of thrust vectoring on the exhausts of the rocket engines, similar to current day proven systems used on the F-22 or SU-37 fighter jets. Thrust vectoring greatly increases the maneuverability of Supercavitational craft. The thrust vectored nozzles direct thrust both horizontally and vertically to allow much tighter turns and angles of attack, and assist the fins in effectively steering the bubble.
Stopping
Cavitation in conventional marine craft is so dreaded because it can cause extensive damage to propellers as the bubbles implode. Fortunately, the decrease in the Supercavitational bubble, as long as it is controlled, would not have such an effect. A gradual slow down has the effect of progressively reducing the size of the bubble, gradually exposing the fuselage to greater amounts of friction.
As such as long as there is not a sudden collapse of the bubble, no damage is expected in leaving the Supercavitational bubble.
Roles
The Thresher serves the RIRN as a dedicated full-scale fleet carrier, operating an entire strike regiment of Subfighters. Typically, each carrier in the fleet will carry one full wing (4 or 5 squadrons, each of 12 fighters) with several 'spare' subcraft to accommodate for attrition. The majority of fleet carriers still operate large numbers of Nota'Man-II class subfighters as the core of their EVA force as the Cenah series of subfighters are still coming in to full service with the fleet.
As a dedicated carrier, the Thresher carries a full regiment. A Rhydinian regiment is compromised of four wings, which means twenty squadrons, with a total carried compliment of two-hundred-forty subfighters.
Armament
The Thresher is armed with 16 torpedo batteries; but the similarities end there. The rapid-loading system of the Battlecruiser gives each of the sixteen batteries a total of 6 torpedo tubes per weapon assembly for a total of 96 torpedo tubes(!) But, not all these tubes can be fired at once. The system, named "RAFIT" (Rapid Firing, Independently Targeting) - is best described as a 'rotary launcher'; as one tube reloads, the next rotates in to position and fires. This 'battery' system allows the Thresher to sustain a heavy and nearly undefendable rate of fire, something seldom done in practice due to a need to conserve torpedo ammunition. In the event that all 96 tubes are fired in a single attack, it is known as an "Alpha Strike" and is generally used as a last-resort tactic. RAFIT tubes can also fire the Mark IX and X Intercept/Countermeasure torpedo.
In addition to its formidable torpedo armament, the Thresher is armed with a total of dozens of Supercavitating Gattling Cannons of various calibers; the cannons have a range of some 700 meters at maximum effectiveness, and is used primarily as a close-range support weapon; blasting through heavy defences or enemy formations in close-quarter capital ship duels that the Xukuthites favour in large scale fleet engagements.
While not as effective as an anti-ship weapon, the cannons main use is as an anti-fighter screen, but fast-moving fighters are difficult to track with sonar, and it's likeness is similiar to the bomber gunners of the wars past. (The Draaklekaan class cruiser remains the staple anti-fighter fleet defence unit due to its advanced warfare sensor and control systems.)
Sensors
Hypersonar technology relies on a combination of 'traditional' acoustic monitoring equipment such as active and passive sonar, and laser-based range finding, it stands for Hypersonic Navigation and Ranging; as the name implies, it uses faster-than-sound technology to detect shipping, map terrain and aid in navigation. The Thresher class mounts a total of twelve parabolic hypersonar arrays mounted bow, stern, midships dorsal and ventral hull.
Operating passively, hypersonar sensors are able to work in conjunction with the ship's computer to use repeated, low-band particle beams to build up a 3D picture of the environment while an integrated passive array intelligently detects and identifies acoustic signatures within that environment. This is the preferred method of operation, as it maintains complete stealth capability for the submarine while still providing at least a marginal picture of the environment around the vessel - while there is no guarantee that a submarine will be detected by the passive components of the array, the laser array ensures that even if targets cannot be identified, they will be detected, ranged and targetted. Only next-generation active camouflage systems employed by Xukuthite vessels have the capacity to evade passive hypersonar entirely.
Used actively, hypersonar becomes a double edged, but ultimately infallible sword - First sweeping the area with a high-sensitivity laser array to gather preliminary data, the ship's computer then isolates targets of opportunity which are then battered with a series of uni-directional audio pings, the system literally bounces sound waves off specific solid objects in the water repeatedly and reflects them back to the array, with each ping building up an incredibly detailed picture of the target in real time. The only draw back to this system is that the target being 'illuminated' will also have access to the same information - active acoustics work both ways.
Nonetheless, the system is a marked improvement over first-generation active sonar technology used throughout the later part of the 20th century where a single ping could be detected by any submarine in the area. The new directed-array used in hypersonars will limit the 'saturation' of the ping to one specific vector, thus maintaining the submarine's stealth against any other target in the area. Only a sophisticated inter-ship battle network (Such as the encrypted, globe-spanning communications system used by the RIRN military) would be able to make use of another ship's sensor information in real time, and forces which do posess such communications ability are very rare; most certainly, the Battlenet has been one of the RIRN's major advantages over the Xukuthite navy's own command and control network which is not as sophisticated.
Combining active hypersonar on a single ship with such a network between a taskforce would enable an entire battlegroup to receive real-time and incredibly detailed target information without revealing their locations.
The Thresher class by itself is capable of using active hypersonar without ever revealing its own location through the use of 6 external, wireless roving satellites called WSKRS (Wireless Sea Knowledge Retrieval Satellites) and further, more detailed tactical information from a group of 3 enhanced WSPRS (Wireless Sea Protection and Reconnaisance Satellites) Each satellite is equipped with a series of active and passive hypersonars that can create a mobile, dynamic sensor screen for the mother-sub. Each WSKR or WSPR is remotely controlled from the mother submarine and can relay the information back to the ship. Each satellite has an effective operating range of up to 20 miles. Sufficed to say that the tactical advantage that this ability affords the RIRN fleet is substantial.
Computer Specifics
The absolute cutting-edge of computer technology as of 2014, the XA-II/B series Neural-Optical computer core was developed as a predecessor to the most sophisticated command and control system ever derived for a ship of war utilized by the RIRN High Command. Designed specifically as a test bed for advanced Deep Submergence technologies, the 12-series core was intended for full scale deployment on a ship, and therefore was technology that was fully operational when installed unlike previous sister ships whom were used as test beds.
The XA-II/B NOC marks a revolutionary step in computer development, as it completely does away with synthetic wiring systems found in earlier generation computers. It is the first core to make use solely of genetically-engineered nerves; in essence, there is no limit to how fast the core is capable of processing information - only a limit to how quickly the operator can interpret it. The computer core memory banks have a capacity in the area of nearly 5.2 petabytes of information storage (1 Petabyte equals approximately 1 million gigabytes)
Neural network technology is controlled by the RIRN's bioengineering corps; a division of the Military Science Bureau.
Propulsion
The Thresher is powered by twin Olympia IX hydrogen breathing rocket engines. These produce massive amounts of thrust, enough to propel the vessel to her top speed of over one-hundred-forty-eight Kph (79 knots). Fuel for The immense rocket engines is sourced from hydrogen, which is extracted from seawater. Although silencers are fitted to the engines, the presence of transducers to create white noise allow the Thresher to run nearly silent even at full speed.
The Hull
The Thresher is a double Hulled De-Guassed Vanadium Titanium coated in a an Self-repairing Biological "Skin" that not only Conceals its Electro-Magnetic and Infra-Red signature, but also absorbs sonar quite readily. The noise level of the Thresher is equal to that of it's sister ship the rather stealthy Reverence Class, with a lower acoustic signature than even that craft when utilizing its MHD Secondary Drive system.
Anechoic, genetic hullskin developed as an acoustics countermeasure, with additional protection from light to medium weapons fire. The genetically-engineered material - a living organism by any other definition - covers the exterior of the hull as three layers, each approximately six inches thick at their most heavily-developed surfaces. Over the length of the submarine, this gives the Thresher a layer of protection some fifteen-inches thick (Three more then the Reverence class) in the most heavily protected areas of the ship, on top of reactive armour plating. The bioskin layers are highly tensile, densely composed structures which absorb and distort active acoustic signals such as sonar pings, thereby drastically reducing the effectiveness of sonar equipment directed at the vessel.
Secondly, the bioskin attenuates sounds emitted from the submarine - especially from engine machinery. This substantially reduces the sonar visibility of the submarine, rendering it effectively stealth to passive detection at extended ranges.
Thirdly, the bioskin possesses self-regenerating properties that enable it to seal any external breaches to the pressure hull. Being a fifth-generation skin, the more mature genetic properties allow a rate of regeneration which can completely seal a compromising hull-breach up to eighty feet wide in just less than seventeen and a half minutes, allowing the internal compartments to be isolated, sealed and then siphoned of water to allow extensive internal repairs to otherwise crippling damage without the need for a dry-dock or harbour facility.
The genetic composition of the hull skin is one of the most classified and tightly controlled secrets in the RIRN Navy's bioengineering corps. The degree of effectiveness of the technology is unparalleled by any other navy in the world, and it is reported that the technology has helped in reducing the sonar signature of RIRN submarines by anywhere up to 85 or 90 percent.
The reactive armour of the Thresher class was developed as a countermeasure to Cavitation weaponry, as it's a common armament design upon the Thresher's enemies. Composed of six layers of composite materials (the exact details of which remain classified) the armour is designed to absorb the heat of kinetic energy weapons, and in extreme cases; shatter and then expand to form a callous-like protective crystalline shell that becomes incredibly durable against directed kinetic weapons.
The indigenously-reactive nature of the layered composites make the armour an extremely effective countermeasure against Xukuthite weaponry widely deployed on heavy cruiser hulls. When this kinetic reaction occurs, the reactive armour found on the hull of the Thresher class forms a 'slurry' which - when mixed with the other composites of the armour - rapidly re-solidifies, and absorbs the kinetic energy of the attack, thus protecting the hull beneath.
Reactor
The HQLT FR-3/B system operates in a repeating cycle, with each cycle culminating in a burst of fusion energy.
Each cycle will involve:
• creating plasma of deuterium and tritium,
• trapping the plasma within a magnetic field,
• compressing the magnetic field and the plasma within it to thermonuclear conditions, and
• capturing the heat that results from the fusion reaction and using it to generate electricity and power for all of the submarines needs.
Physically, our generator will consist of a spherical tank filled with a liquid mixture of lead and lithium. The liquid will be spun by tangential injection to create a vertical cylindrical vortex cavity in the centre of the sphere. The two plasma toroids, one from each injector, will meet in the centre of the vortex and combine to form a single magnetized plasma target, somewhat analogous to the combination of two soap bubbles. This combined plasma at the centre of the reaction chamber will have a maximum life of a few hundred microseconds before it dissipates.
The outside of the spherical tank is studded with 220 pneumatic pistons. These pistons will impact the tank, inducing a spherical acoustic compression wave in the liquid metal that will travel to the centre of the sphere. As the acoustic wave travels through the lead and focuses towards the centre, it will become stronger and evolve into an intense shock wave. When the shock wave arrives in the centre, it will rapidly collapse the vortex cavity and the plasma confined within it, creating thermonuclear conditions in the process.
The pneumatic pistons will be controlled by a system that times their impacts precisely to create a symmetrical compression shockwave in the cavity. The control system will adjust the timing of individual piston impacts to control the shape of the cavity as it collapses; compensate for physical and thermal effects and variations within the generator; and, adjust for changes over time as equipment wears and parameters vary.
The fusion reaction will release energy in the form of charged helium atoms and free neutrons. The neutrons will pass out of the plasma and will be slowed by the surrounding liquid metal, transferring heat to the lead in the process. The neutrons will eventually be absorbed into the nuclei of the lithium dissolved in the lead, transforming it into tritium and more helium.
After the reaction ends, the lead will be pumped out of the chamber and passed through a separator that removes both the tritium and helium from the lead solution. The tritium will then be separated from the helium and directed back to the plasma injectors as fuel. The harmless helium will be released into the atmosphere.
The lead will then pass through a heat exchanger that transfers the heat to water to create steam. Approximately half of this steam energy will be used to re-power the pistons and the remaining half can be used in a standard turbine to generate electricity. Each fusion pulse will result in approximately 160 MJ of net electrical output. Varying the cycle repetition rate will control the overall power plant output; if repeated once per second, the net output will be 160 MW. At this power output, a power plant would consume only 124 kg of deuterium and 90 kg of lithium per year.
Specifics
Class: Thresher
Type: Deep Submergence Ventilated Supercavitating Vehicle
Classification: VSV/SDC
Builder: Anhui Shipyards
Crew: 789
Dimensions
Length: 539 meters (1768 feet)
Beam: 222 meters (728 feet) wingtip to wingtip
Height: 71 meters (232 feet)
Displacement: 326,000 tons
Propulsion
Cruising Speed: 40 Knots
Max Speed (Supercavitating): 81 Knots
Collapse Depth: Estimated at: 4028 meters (13,372 ft).
Power plants: HQLT Taurus fusion reactors powering (5) double Aqua-return propulsion drives
Primary: Rocket - Hydrogen Burning Engines (w/ hydra jet propulsion used to get it up to Cavitating speed)
Secondary (Port) Engines: MHD “Caterpillar” Magneto-Hydro Drive
Weaponry
Electro-Magnetic Pulse Directional Leads
[2] EMPDL (Electro-Magnetic Pulse Directional Leads) set into the Bow and Aft skin of the Vessel are several EMPDL systems that shoot a directional EMP to disable any incoming threats by shutting down or even destroying their electronic and computer systems (depending on strength of pulse). the EMPDL system makes it so that the pulse will not effect the Thresher's electronic operation as it uses the EMP generator. and is directed away from the craft.
Railguns
[3] Mako Class Naval Railguns
Built along the Spine of the vessel a set of three railguns provide superior long-range firepower compared to most full size battleships, and utilizing supercavitating ammunition allows it to fire at land and sea targets while submerged or surfaced. Each 20 inch diameter High Velocity Cannon has a range of over 30 Kilometers.
A Rail Gun operates by making use of the Lorentz force created on a moving armature. The gun consists of two parallel rails electrically connected via an armature which holds the projectile. Current from the power source is sent down one rail, across the armature, and then down through the other rail back to the power source. This current flow creates a magnetic field around the armature, generating a propulsive force which slides it down the rails.
As the KE projectile has very high impact velocities, the kinetic energy of a solid projectile is considered to be more than sufficient to destroy most targets, including hardened bunkers. For that reason, having a burster is not seen as necessary. This reduces the cost and complexity of the projectile, as it is effectively just a solid bullet needing only a GPS/Inertial guidance package that can withstand the high acceleration force generated as the round travels down the gun barrel, estimated to be about 40g.
Breech energy is 150 megajoules with the muzzle energy of the saboted round being 63 megajoules.
Estimated Time of Flight for an MV of 8,200 fps (2,500 mps): 20 nm (36 km) = 100 seconds (water resistance being more than that of air)
Type: Fixed
Projectile Types and Weights: KE: 15 kg (33 lbs.)
Projectile Length: 76.2 cm (30 in)
Propellant Charge: None (Electromagnetic Propulsion)
Muzzle Velocity: 8,200 fps (2,500 mps)
Additional Armament
- [16] Mk. 1 RAFIT (RApid Firing, Independently Targeting) Six-Tubed 24-inch Torpedo Batteries (mounted bows, midships)
[30] SLR-81 "Hellfire" Supercavitating 18mm Gattling Cannons (mounted bows & midships)
[18] "Hades" Supercavitating 25mm Gattling Cannons (mounted bows & midships)
[20] CIWS Phalanx Systems (retractable, meant for surface use)
Sea Wing (Sub-fighters)
- [150] SSF-3/J Cenah Sub Fighters
[50] SSF-3/F Cenah Sub Fighters
[25] SA-4/C Nota'man Sub Fighter-Bombers
[25] SA-3/C Tempest Light Interceptor Sub Fighters
Other Craft
- [55] Ten person Emergency Escape Pods
[10] Transport Shuttles
If interested in purchasing, please visit here to fill out the proper paperwork: Harl L' Qu'mados Technologies