Silvercrest Submarines are the UK's premier submarine & ROV sales company with contracts performed worldwide

Silvercrest Submarines Newsletter (2006).

Silvercrest Submarines can arrange Submarine and Rov Maintenance, also Pilot Training courses for purchasers. Submersible Refit and Certification programmes. Whatever your underwater vehicle requirements, just ask us and we will support you. Further information available on request.

SUBMARINE RESCUE.
France, Norway and the UK have joined forces to establish a new submarine rescue capability for downed submarines below 600m. Several companies have been contacted to tender bids for the new rescue package, with an estimated value of US$211 million. The current British rescue vehicle LR5 is expected to be phased out in 2006.

ROV and SUBMARINE REPLACEMENT MOTORS.
Silvercrest is now the European agent for SME submersible electric motors. These motors are an excellent and cost effective replacement motor for all Rovs and manned submarines. Construction in stainless steel or hard anodised aluminium. All voltages and frequencies. Sizes range from 1/4HP to 550HP. Also available are a range of matched motor controller drives and soft starts (bi-directional and variable speed). Custom designs and problem solving available on request.

SUBMARINE BATTERIES.
Silvercrest can offer high quality traction batteries (lead/acid, 2.2vdc cells) for all your submarine and submersible requirements. Wide range of sizes and Ah capacity available. These batteries are built by a leading manufacturer to a very high technical standard. Prices are substantially lower than what you have been quoted in the USA or Europe. Call us with your technical specifications for a quotation.

Submersible, ROV and Subsea Motors. Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest offer complete submersible electric motor rewinds, submersible motor rebuilding, electrical conversion and construction modification.  Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest can repair and completely rebuild the following listed motors. Alstra, Aturia, Bamsa, B. J., Elmaksan, Exodyne/EEMI, G.E., Mercury, Oddesse, Pleuger, Saer, S.M.E., Subteck, Sumo, Sun Star, U.S.

Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest Repair and rewind large high voltage (500kW 6600V) submersible electric motors.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING/SILVERCREST offer High Temperature Submersible motors in 6"to 20" frames suitable for operation in ambient of 75 Deg.C. High Voltage water filled submersible motors (300V, 4160V and 6600V). Upgraded Temperature Monitoring unit available with new improved user-friendly parameter setting.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING ROV motors suitable for depths of 4000M.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING/ SILVERCREST, design, manufacture, and supply, submersible electric motors for deep well submersible pumps, SUBSEA and ROV electric motors for SUBSEA equipment, submersible electric motors for sump pumps, and any special purpose submersible electric motor requirements.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING/SILVERCREST also offer complete motor repair and rewind of all name brands of submersible motors, both water and oil filled.

Subsea Motors.

Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest can supply HV HP motors up to 5,500kW, engineered to meet all your subsea operating conditions. A key design feature is the High Pressure capability, allowing our motors to operate effectively at water depths of 4000m. Our design ensures a 'uniform electric field' that minimises electrical stresses, to maximise the winding cable life. Our engineers also ensure the optimum temperature within the motor by careful selection of the internal flow pattern and external heat exchanger. All our Subsea motors have a variable speed capability. The materials of motor construction are typically 316 stainless steel, duplex, or super duplex stainless steel.

The Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest motor design allows for a long trouble free operational life. Our subsea, ROV and submersible motors are available in water-filled and oil-filled construction. Extreme subsea conditions demand reliable, high quality, solutions that will not fail.  We are experts in such technology and will engineer solutions for your subsea applications. We can also design and manufacture special application submersible motors for specific requirements.

Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest is the world leader in submersible motor technology, enabling our customers to explore deeper underwater than ever before.   High power, high voltage and high-pressure specifications are common place for many of our clients. Our submersible subsea and ROV motors are the best on the market today, offering a comprehensive choice of materials and design to underwater and ROV operators.

Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest specializes in all aspects of submersible electric motor operation, performance, and design. Due to industry demand for readily available quality parts, we also rewind, repair, redesign, and machine major components of other manufacturer's motors that require repair and re-manufacture.

Testing.  All our motors, motor-pump sets and HPUs are fully run-in at full load prior to shipment. A test certificate is supplied with each unit, stating all the recorded outputs (such as power input and output, temperature, pressure, flow, etc).

ROV Deep Ocean Motors.

Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest has manufactured hundreds of ROV Motors for new and existing subsea vehicles, and other deep ocean applications. Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest is a leading manufacturer of motors, motor-pump sets, and HPUs, for the power, and oil and gas industries.

Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest offer a comprehensive range of Fluid Filled Electric Motors and Motor-Pump sets that are designed to meet the most demanding applications and environments for the energy market. Exceptional build quality is what makes our motors the first choice for many operators today. Our attention to detail and precision engineering is demonstrated at hundreds of locations worldwide.

Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest motors are manufactured in Perth (WA) and supplied worldwide, providing superb performance and reliability.

Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest supply motors for ROVs, Offshore Oil and Gas Installations, Offshore Platforms, Semi-submersibles, Subsea Processing operations and advanced deepwater motor technology. Our motors are designed by subsea experts, and built by some of the world’s most skilled engineers. Our client list includes some of the biggest names in the ROV, subsea, and oil and gas industry. Our subsea motors are High Power, High Voltage, High Pressure, and Fluid Filled for all deepwater applications. To meet the demands of complex subsea operating conditions, we manufacture HV HP motors up to 5,500kw (or higher).  Our motor design enables the motors to operate at depths of 4000m. These parameters accommodate most subsea projects. However other motor designs and subsea solutions are available on request.

ROV'S FOR IMMEDIATE SALE.
a) Hyball Rov available for sale in excellent condition, all latest circuit boards and modifications. Extensive spare parts package included. Training course available. Fantastic buy, a bargain.

b) Phantom DHD2 Rov for sale in very good condition and dive ready, complete with spare parts, and LARS. Standard operating depth 300m (max depth 600m). Manipulator, 2 * 500w lights fixed position, 2 * 250w linked to camera pan/tilt. Heading compass, and Depth gauge. Power requirement 230 volt, 50 Hz, 15 KVA. New 1200ft length of neutral flying tether. Six one horsepower thrusters.

c) Phantom Ultimate Rov fully updated with new flying tether. Depth rating 2500ft (800m). Control console, power transformer (220vac three phase), spares, broadcast quality video camera (ROS high resolution colour camera with zoom), pan & tilt unit, 2x 250w lights, 4-function manipulator, sediment blower, and Imagenix sonar. Bandit winch with 2000ft of double armour cable. Rov weight: 800lbs. Rov dimensions: 3ft(h) x 4ft(w) x 5ft(l). Excellent package in dive ready condition.

d) Scorpi Rov system (40hp) manufactured by Ametek Straza. Currently in storage. This Rov is generally in good condition, however a routine maintenance programme should be carried out prior to any underwater operations. Diving depth 600m. Mesotech Sonar. 7 x thrusters. 2 x cameras. 2 x forward lights (250w). No manipulators. Selection of spare parts. 350m umbilical and winch (extra length to 590m possibly available). Totally refitted four years ago and then placed in storage.

e) Super Scorpio Type Rov (100Hp). A heavy-duty underwater vehicle designed to carry out a wide variety of recovery, observation and manipulator tasks to a water depth of 1000m. Equipped with Sonar, TV cameras, lights, manipulators and other specialised underwater survey equipment. The ROV will also provide electrical and hydraulic interfacing for general purpose and support tooling. It is capable of free swimming or operating from a heavy-duty underwater garage (TMS) via a 150m buoyant tether umbilical. The system comprises of the Power Distribution Package, Control and Display Console, Winch Assembly, Umbilical and the Vehicle itself. The equipment requires a stable power supply of 380 - 480v, 3-phase, 60Hz at 180kva.

f) Apache Rov. Operational depth 2500m (8000ft). Complete with TMS and Surface Control Unit. This Rov is in good condition. Additional equipment to the normal vehicle specification includes Kongsberg Colour cameras 1366 and 1372. Pan and Tilt unit for cameras and lights. 4-function manipulator (rotating claw) with remote control unit. Sonar. Spare parts package.

g) VideoRay Rov. Small lightweight unit (only 8lbs). Operational depth 250ft. Fitted with colour camera, two external lights, and three thrusters. This Rov is in excellent condition, as new.

BALI TOURIST SUBMARINE.
Silvercrest Submarines recently completed a contract in Bali (Indonesia) to design, manufacture and fit a complete set of 11.5Kw electric thrusters to the "Odyssey-Two" 36-passenger tourist submarine. The new thrusters replace the original units manufactured in North America, which caused problems over a number of years.

The contract called for the installation of our 69kW (6 x 11.5kW) AC propulsion and ballast system into the 'Odyssey' class tourist submarine. This system utilizes a state of the art, purpose built SME 11.5kW thruster / ballast pump motor. A custom built submersible, 3 phase, AC, squirrel cage induction motor encased in a 316 stainless steel compensated housing. The motor was designed specifically to match the available buss voltage and it's dedicated motor invertor controller. The Silvercrest motor is smooth, quiet & powerful. The motor control unit supplied is a CT-Commander SE invertor controller drive, manufactured by one of the leading drive manufacturers in the world today. Each drive utilizes digital control using an onboard processor with EEPROM data storage. This allows the drive to store operating parameters & it's own operating history for maintenance & fault diagnosis purposes.

Protection from water ingress was provided by a twin Burgmann, tandem mechanical shaft seal arrangement on each motor shaft working in conjunction with a custom built, 33 Lt capacity, oil filled central motor compensation system.

Great attention was applied to designing for reliability and a long working life for the system. All components were rated to at least 150% of required working capacity. This over-rating of individual components ensured that no single part of the system can ever be overloaded during correct use. Specific motor functions and operational profiles can be catered for and programmed into the CT controller. For example the Odyssey system has a 'Turbo' function, whereby the motors run normally with a 7.5kW maximum output. At the flick of a switch on the pilot's console, the motor can be enabled to output the maximum 11.5kW for use in manoeuvring emergencies.

SILVERCREST THRUSTER INFORMATION.

The Silvercrest Thruster is designed for tourist submarines, and remote operated vehicles (Rovs). Depth Rating 3000m. This new 'replacement' propulsion system is ideal for both new build & existing submarines and Rovs (especially if the need is for a 100HP or 125HP Rov Replacement motor). We tailor the installation to solve your propulsion problem. We will visit you on-site to assess your installation & determine the best route forward to solve your problems.

LARGE TOURIST SUBMARINE FOR SALE.
This large multi passenger tourist submarine has been designed for the underwater leisure market. An excellent opportunity to acquire a purpose built submarine. Operating Depth: 240ft (75m). Crew: Two pilots and forty-six passengers. Weight: 106 tons. Large viewports on all sides. External lights, video, sonar and communications.

Oceaneering Buys Drill Support Rovs.
Oceaneering has entered into agreements to acquire all drill support ROV business from Subsea 7 and Stolt Offshore. Expected cost to be in the region of US$158 million. The sale from Subsea 7 includes 54 work-class and 28 observation-class Rovs that are currently operating in the North Sea, Brazil, and the Gulf of Mexico. Stolt Offshore will be selling 34 work-class Rovs to Oceaneering.

Submarine News In Brief.
Russia plans to dismantle up to one hundred nuclear submarines over the next ten years, and is asking other countries to cover half the costs. About seventy four of these submarines still carry nuclear fuel. Estimated costs for the programme is US$4 billion.

The US Navy is reported to be eliminating two Virginia-class submarines from its five year build programme. Representing a saving of US$1.2 billion per submarine.

Kockums is under contract with Sweden to build two Viking submarines for commissioning in 2010.

Indonesia had plans to buy submarines from South Korea, but is now considering two Dutch RDM Moray-class diesel-electric submarines to meet their 2008 schedule.

Spain has approved the construction of four S80-class submarines, with four more to follow. The relatively large 71m long, 2345 ton subs will be commissioned between 2007 to 2010.

French DCN have christened the first Scorpene conventional attack submarine. The Chilian Navy will receive the submarine as part of a two-sub order worth US$417million.

Italy has launched the first of two submarines in a joint construction programme with Germany. This U-212 class submarine is 57m long, 1460 tons. Top speed of 20kts and a range of 420 miles. It has an air-independent propulsion system using hydrogen and oxygen fuel cells.

SMALL MANNED SUBMERSIBLES FOR SALE.

Curiousus - Sub.
Research submarine built in 1995. To date this submarine has completed eighty dives. Crew: pilot plus two passengers. Dive duration six hours. Maximum depth 180 meters, and has been tested by the Turkish navy to 415 meters. Three thrusters. Battery capacity 6.6kw (4 x 185Ah). Weight: 2.52 tons. Length: 4.20m, Width:1.55m, Height: 1.92m. US$265,000.

Pisces Submersible.
A deep diving submersible designed for scientific research, wreck hunting, salvage, and underwater filming. Crew: three. Operational Depth: 2000ft (600m). Weight: 12 tons. Large front viewports. Fitted with external lighting, manipulator arm, communications and sonar system.

Ocean-Explorer submarine.
This privately manufactured submarine, together with three support vessels is now for sale. Completed in 1989, with over 12 years of design, research and development. Depth: 1000ft approximately (unmanned to 3,500 feet, as designed) Weight: 12000 lbs. Surface speed: 10kts with surface range 400 miles on diesel power and underwater range 25 miles on fully charged batteries. Viewports: fourteen 9-inch ports 1 1/2" thick, plus one 3" port (top hatch cover). Life support: two people for up to seven days. Trailer: custom-built, tandem. Dive missions have been completed off the east coast of the United States, south Florida, the Keys, the Gulf and Caribbean. (Currently in warehouse storage). Price US$195,000. Three surface support vessels included in the sale price (35ft Long Range Flybridge Live Aboard, 23ft Center Console Transport, and 11ft Avon Sub Tender Inflatable).

SC-BUG Submersible.
A small privately constructed submersible designed for two or three persons. Ideal for underwater filming, research, and personal recreation. Operating Depth: 500ft (test depth 725ft). Length 12ft and width 5ft. Numerous viewports. Life support for three days. Over 500 dives completed todate. Training course available. 

G-SUB submarine.
The G-Sub is a small lightweight submarine ideal for underwater leisure, filming, search and simple salvage operations. Operating Depth: 150ft (50m) at present. Deeper dive depths may be possible subject to a refurbishment programme. Crew: two. Weight: 4 tons. Six panoramic viewports. Manipulator arm, external lights, communications and sonar. 

BMM2 Submarine.
This submarine has been constructed to a very high standard, and is ideal for underwater work, and leisure activities. Operating Depth: 1000ft (300m). Crew: two or three. Weight: 7 tons. Large front viewport, and small conning tower viewports. Manipulator arm (optional), external lights, communications and sonar. The best buy on the market.

SB600 Submarine.
This is a small tourist submarine designed for four passengers and one pilot. Exceptional 360-degree viewing through the clear acrylic hull. Operating depth: 150ft(50m). Weight: 12tons.

For all your submarine requirements please contact us.

C&C TECHNOLOGIES RETURN TO THE U-166.
A science expedition recently explored the remains of the only World War II German U-boat sunk in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The U-166 was discovered in 5000ft of water in 2001 while surveyors were conducting a pipeline survey with a Hugin-3000 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for BP and Shell International. Sonsub Inc. (Houston) provided ROV support. A crew from the New York film company, KPI, joined the science team to film a documentary for television's Deep Sea Detective series on the History Channel. The goal of the project was to document the archaeological and microbiological aspects of the U-boat site, using state-of-the-art positioning systems, digital still and video imagery, and limited microbiological experiments. The project used a Sonsub Innovator ROV on board the R/V Ronald H. Brown. A survey team from C&C Technologies tracked the ROV acoustically by using a long baseline positioning array of five transponders set on the seafloor in conjunction with a C-Nav® global positioning system (GPS). The accuracy achieved during the survey provided as little as 6 centimeters of horizontal deviation for the position of the ROV, a spokesman said. The team also investigated the shipwreck site, SS Robert E. Lee. This passenger freighter was the last victim of the U-166 and lies on the seafloor within a mile of the U-boat. In addition to the ROV investigation, the R/V Rig Supporter arrived at the site and conducted an AUV survey of the shipwrecks to support the project. The 2003 U-166 project represents the deepest archaeological survey conducted in the Gulf of Mexico to date.

MEDIUM TOURIST SUBMARINE FOR SALE.
A medium size multi passenger tourist submarine, designed for the underwater leisure market. Operating Depth: 300ft (100m). Crew: Two pilots and twenty-four passengers. Weight: 35 tons. Large viewports on all sides. External lights, communications, video and sonar.

DOER INTRODUCES OCEAN EXPLORER 1000M ROV
DOER reports it recently introduced the Ocean Explorer 1000m ROV, a modular, all electric, digitally controlled system featuring CyVect Corp and Alameda brushless DC thrusters. The power and stability of this vehicle, coupled with its ability to carry an array of advanced sensor and video technologies, make it a valuable tool for science, maritime and infrastructure security, and search/recovery operations. The open frame vehicle was built in three different sizes to date, all of which use the same small-diameter, single-mode fiber-optic umbilical and digital surface control. A typical configuration allows for four simultaneous video feeds and nine data telemetry channels, including eight RS-485/-232, one Ethernet, and provisions for an audio/tactile sensor channel. A minimum of 12Kw of power is available subsea. An internal network permits the CyVect microprocessor controlled intelligent thrusters to monitor and compensate for one another in the event of fouling while greatly reducing pilot fatigue during operations. The latest digital accessories are integrated via Phalanx connector manifolds, fore and aft. Ocean Explorer is rated for 1000m (3300ft) working depth standard, with deeper options available. It is capable of pulling extreme runs of umbilical for linear pipeline inspections. www.doermarine.com

SUBMARINE FOR SUPER YACHTS and MEGA YACHTS.
The Mergo is a tourist submarine, safe and comfortable, designed for the smaller tourist resort. This submarine is ideal for super yachts, tourist start-up operations, and organisations entering the underwater market for the first time. Operating Depth 300ft (100m). Crew: One pilot and ten passengers. Weight: 24 tons. Large front viewport, large tower viewport, ten large individual passenger viewports. External lights, sonar, acoustic tracking, video and communications.

Windfarm surveyors find Royal Navy submarines, 93 years on.

K6 in harbour Picture: The Royal Navy Submarine Museum

It was a “battle” that involved no enemy contact whatsoever, that left two submarines sunk, 270 British submariners dead and which the Royal Navy kept secret for as long as it could. But now new evidence has emerged that sheds fresh light on the “Battle of the Isle of May”. Marine surveyors mapping the sea bed off the Fife coast have uncovered the exact resting places of the two Royal Navy submarines lost in one of the most unfortunate, but also little known, self-inflicted calamities in British naval history. Sonar images produced by marine archaeologists EMU Ltd have now pinpointed and created images the wrecks of the two K Class submarines for the first time. The survey work of the sea floor is being done to prepare an offshore windfarm – the Neart na Gaoithe project – which Mainstream Renewable Power hopes to build off the Fife coast.

3D sonar images of K4 and K17 on the seabed Picture: EMU Ltd

The sonar images show the two submarines, K4 and K17, lying just 100 metres apart. K4 is missing a section of her bow, which was located a short distance away. The calamity happened on the night of 31 January 1918 when a battle group from the British Grand Fleet, including 19 major warships and their destroyer escorts, headed out from Rosyth for a rendezvous in the North Sea. It was a foggy night and two of the submarines collided on the surface after one moved suddenly to avoid hitting a minesweeper. Unable to move, one of the damaged boats was then hit by another submarine, forcing all of these submarines to leave the convoy and head for home. It was then that one of the returning submarines, K22, was rammed by mistake by a battlecruiser – HMS Inflexible. By that time, news of the collisions had reached leaders of the flotilla and several ships were sent to help. Unfortunately, this turned an accident into a disaster.

HMS Fearless having hit K17 Picture: The Royal Navy Submarine Museum.

One of the ships heading back to help, the cruiser HMS Fearless, rammed K17, sending it to the bottom within eight minutes – although most of the crew managed to escape before it went down. With Fearless stationary, the submarines behind it took evasive action to avoid hitting the cruiser. It was then that two of the submarines, K6 and K7, hit K4, sinking it almost immediately. Unaware of what was happened in the sea around them, the ships of the 5th Battle Squadron ploughed on into the North Sea, right through the submariners who had managed to escape before their boats went to the bottom, killing most of them. In an incident which had taken just over 90 minutes from start to finish, 270 men had lost their lives. Indeed, only eight men from K17 survived, while there were no survivors from K4. As a result of this series of mishaps, the Royal Navy had lost two submarines while another four and one cruiser had been so badly damaged they had to return to base. The accident was kept secret for the rest of the war, but a memorial cairn was eventually erected in the Fife coastal village of Anstruther 84 years later, on 31 January 2002, on the harbour opposite the Isle of May. It emerged many years after the accident that one of the Royal Navy’s commanders on the night had been court-martialed, but that too was kept out of the public eye. Ewan Walker, environment developer for Mainstream Renewable Power, stressed that the wrecks would not be moved or disturbed by the turbines. “Although these wrecks are within our offshore windfarm boundary,” he said, “they will not be affected if the windfarm is consented. “The wrecks have legal protection which prevents activities which could disturb them. This protection includes a buffer zone around the wrecks.” Stuart Leather, a principal consultant in the survey, said of the sonar work: “This hadn’t actually been done before. “You have the historical accounts but what you haven’t had until now is the evidence of what happened on the sea bed. We’ve compared the wreckage on the sea bed with the account of the disaster and it has slightly modified the understanding of the previous accounts.”

K4 aground at Walney Island, Barrow, 1917 Picture: The Royal Navy Submarine Museum

The K Class submarines earned the unfortunate nickname “Kalamity-class” within the Royal Navy during the first world war. This was largely because, of the 18 built, none were lost in action but six were sunk in accidents. These were steam-powered submarines with a huge boiler-room which made them almost unbearably hot. Because of the complicated system of ballasts and chambers needed for diving and surfacing, they often failed on their own – without any help from the enemy.

Submarine Nukes.

According to a report prepared by international experts and researchers, the world’s nuclear powers are planning on spending hundreds of billions of dollars modernising and upgrading their nuclear warheads and delivery systems and Israel is also engaged in such activities in order to rank itself among global powers with a reach far beyond the Middle East. The assessment is prepared by the Trident Commission, an independent cross-party initiative set up by the British American Security Information Council (BASIC). It was first carried by Britain’s Guardian newspaper. What should be of interest to this part of the world and of course to the international community is that Israel is extending the range of its Jericho III missile, developing intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capabilities and expanding its nuclear-tipped cruise missile enabled submarine fleet. “In the case of Israel, the size of its nuclear-tipped cruise missile enabled submarine fleet is being increased and the country seems to be on course, on the back of its satellite launch rocket programme, for future development of an inter-continental ballistic missile,” according to the report. Israel has three submarines capable of carrying nuclear missiles and two more are being manufactured in Germany. It is negotiating the purchase of a sixth Dolphin submarine. Dolphin submarines are said to have the longest cruising range of all submarines. Now, if Israel were to decide to use nuclear weapons against any country in the Middle East region — meaning from Morocco to Oman — and indeed Pakistan, which has the so-called “Islamic bomb,” then it does not really have to have submarines with a long cruising range. The BASIC report offers an explanation. While Israel developed nuclear weapons in the 1960s, it was driven by a desire to have a deterrent against the Arabs. Today, according to the BASIC report, possession of nuclear weapons is not just deterrence for Israel. Look at the expansion programmes undertaken by Israel, as summarised in the BASIC report: 

It is extending the range of its missiles with development of the Jericho-III, range of 4,000-6,500 kilometres.

It is suspected of using its Shavit satellite launch rocket programme to underpin development of a genuine ICBM capability.

It is further expanding the size of its nuclear-tipped cruise missile enabled attack submarine fleet. Given existing Israeli nuclear enabled bomber options, this gives Israel a triad of nuclear delivery systems. Israel has well over 200 F-16s supplied by the United States, mainly in the period between 1980 and 1995. In addition, and more recently, Israel has received from the United States a further 87 F-15 Eagle fighter and ground attack aircraft. Some of these could have subsequently been made suitable for the delivery of nuclear weapons, since the F-15E Strike Eagle has the nuclear capabilities, according to the BASIC report.

It is not known how many nuclear warheads are in Israel’s possession since all aspects of its nuclear programmes — except those linked to research — are closely guarded secrets.  The BASIC assessment, based on revelations by Israeli nuclear expert Mordechai Vanunu to the Sunday Times in 1986 and subsequent reports, is that Israel possesses between 100 and 200 nuclear warheads compared with the UK’s 100 to 160. Israel is known to operate two nuclear facilities — Dimona in the Naqab desert, where Vanunu worked before his revelations that found him being led to an Israeli prison where he spent 18 years, and the Soreq Nuclear Research Centre, about 40 kilometres south of Tel Aviv. The Soreq facility is under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards and is used for research and training in nuclear engineering. “Much greater secrecy surrounds the more important Dimona facility, which is thought to conduct the full range of weapons related activities,” says the BASIC report. “There has never been any clarity over the power of the reactor at Dimona, leading to uncertainty over the size of Israel’s plutonium stockpile and therefore also to uncertainty over the number of nuclear weapons it might have been able to produce.”

The report observes: “Israel’s nuclear weapons programme was not, it seems, originally driven by any fear that others in the region were developing a nuclear weapons capability of their own. Consistent with the idea that Israel subsequently planned for possible nuclear weapons use in response to being on the verge of a conventional military defeat, the original motivation for the nuclear weapons programme in the mid-1950s appears to have been that of compensating Israel for its demographic, geographic, and conventional military weakness relative to Arab neighbours that were talking openly of the need to destroy it.” Having wrecked a rudimentary nuclear programme of Iraq in 1981 and destroyed what is described as a Syrian nuclear facility in 2007, Israel is now concerned over Iran’s ambitions.

“Today, Iran is the primary concern,” states the BASIC assessment. “This is not just a concern that Israel could be subject to a nuclear attack from Iran, since such an attack would be suicidal for Iran as well as catastrophic for Israel, but a concern that weapons will be used through miscalculation or misunderstanding between two states that do not talk to each other directly, in a region that is highly volatile, and where conflicts could break out on a number of fronts almost at any time.”

But Israel’s expansion of its nuclear capabilities has a much larger dimension. According to the BASIC report, despite budgetary constraints, billions of dollars are being spent modernising and upgrading nuclear capabilities of countries possessing atomic weapons: the United States will spend some $700 billion on its nuclear weapons industry in the next decade, while Russia is expected to spend $70 billion on cruise missile systems alone. No figures are given on how much Israel is spending. Other countries, including India, China and Pakistan, are also expected to spend significant amounts of money on their strategic weaponry systems, it says. It will definitely appear that Israel desires to be considered as a global power capable of threatening most countries with its nuclear capabilities and is busy preparing for it. Since other nuclear powers are planning massive expansion of their nuclear arsenal and the means to deliver them, Israel does not want to be left behind in the global race. It also means that the talk about turning the Middle East into a nuclear-weapons-free region is senseless.

Submarines for Deep Voyages.

Deep Exploration Submariner Sir Richard Branson Unveils An All New Deep Exploration Submarine With Guinness World Record Aims. Most of us think of a war machine when we hear the word submarine. Since its inception, these 'underwater water ships' have mostly been used by countries to fire missile at others or to sink enemy ships with a deadly torpedo. But for sometime now, submarines have found a rather more 'creative' use. Today submarines are being used to fulfill man's wish to explore the undersea world. Of course, these submarines differ in a big way from the conventional military submarines. These are small submersibles designed to give the tourists a glimpse of the underwater world. The tourists can view the undersea world without getting wet through the transparent glass windows of these mini-submarines. This form of undersea tourism is gaining in popularity off-late. Many countries with long coastlines are adopting this form of tourism to boost their economy. This article will give you an idea about five submarines which are currently being used for undersea tourism as well as for scientific explorations around the world.

1. CQ-2 twin seater personal submarine.

The C-Quester 2 or the CQ 2 submarine can carry two people up to a depth of 100 meters. But, the best thing about this submarine is that the cabin pressure of this submarine always stays at one atmospheric pressure which means that people traveling in this submarine will not have to worry about decompression while sailing in the ocean depths. The CQ 2 is a battery powered vehicle. On one full charge of its lithium-ion battery, this mini-sub can stay submerged underwater for two-and-half hours. But, on the downside, the battery takes 14 hours to fully charge. The CQ 2 has four 36V electric motors for propulsion underwater. A four-seater version of this submarine is also available.

2. Hammacher schlemmers submarine.

The Hammacher Schlemmers Personal sub is powered by two 3 HP thrusters. These thrusters provide the necessary power to the submarine to move around in every direction. The submarine has the capability to dive up to 1000 feet underwater and can stay there for 6 hours. The submarine, weighs in at 3000kg, is fitted with things like VHF radio, barometer, thermometer, fluxgate, depth gauges, hydrometer, GPS receiver, etc. A single Hammacher Schlemmers submarine will cost you $2 million.

3. personal submarines.

This is another personal submarine on offer from the Dutch submarine manufacturer. They have also designed the CQ submarines which have the capability to dive up to 100m beneath the waves. This particular model, named C-Explorers, has the capability to go up to 1000m underwater, carrying up to six persons on-board. Some of the technologies used in C-Explorer have been taken from CQ series of submarines. The C-Explorer has a catamaran style design with a fully acrylic transparent pressure hull for clear and unobstructed underwater viewing. The vehicle will be available in 1, 2, 4 & 5 models. The C-Explorer 1 will be powered by a 10 kWh lithium-ion battery while the other models will be fitted with a 40 kWh variant.

4. Raonhaje's EGO personal semi-submarine.

Korean company Raonhaje recently came up with this personal semi-submarine concept, the EGO. The EGO concept revolves around a circular container with two floating wings attached to the top of it. The wings have propellers fitted beneath them which propels this semi-submarine forward. The submarine is powered by 8-12 volts marine batteries and can carry up to three people. The battery of this submarine takes 6-10 hours to fully charge and gives the craft a top speed of 5 knots. The EGO has an endurance of 4 hours at top speed and 8 hours at a reduced speed.

5. SEAmagine's Smallest and Lightest Submersible.

The Ocean Pearl mini-submarine from SEAamagine can carry two people up to a depth of 914 meters (3000 feet). The submarine has a bubble canopy that opens up like a clam shell to provide easy access to the passengers. The transparent bubble canopy also provides unhindered view of the ocean floor to the passengers. The submarine has been equipped with a high-tech full life support system which removes CO2 and supplies oxygen to the passengers.

Israel improving nuclear abilities.

The Guardian quotes report claiming Israel extending Jericho III missile's range, developing ICBM capabilities, expanding nuclear-tipped cruise missile enabled submarine fleet. Israel, the size of its nuclear-tipped cruise missile enabled submarine fleet is being increased and the country seems to be on course, on the back of its satellite launch rocket program, for future development of an inter-continental ballistic missile," the report said.

Nuclear submarine (Illustration: AP)

Israel currently has three submarines and two more being manufactured in Germany.  Other countries, including Israel, India, China and Pakistan, are also expected to spend significant amounts of money on their strategic weaponry systems.  The Basic report claimed that for countries such as Israel, Russia, Pakistan and France, having nuclear weapons is not just about deterrence. For Russia and Pakistan nuclear weapons are also designated for attacks, claimed the report.

Israel may lose German sub deal.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's frustration over new east Jerusalem housing plans may jeopardize Israel's chances of getting new Dolphin class submarine.  Top political sources said that Merkel was irked with Netanyahu, who "gave her the impression that he would be willing to suspend settlement expansion in order to push the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks." Israel's recent approval of 1,100 housing units in the Gilo neighborhood in Jerusalem led Merkel to announce that Netanyahu "cannot be taken seriously and has no intention of complying with the basic terms needed to renew the negotiations with the Palestinian." Merkel and Netanyahu shared strident words following the decisions, and relations between Jerusalem and Berlin have been strained since. Defense officials expressed concern over Berlin's intention to suspend and possibly cancel the submarine sale: According to foreign media reports, the new Dolphin was slated to join Israel strategic fleet. Earlier in 2011, Germany announced that it would grant Israel a €135 million aid package to build its sixth submarine. German funding has been a significant part in the creation of the Israeli Navy's submarine crops. The Navy currently has three Dolphin class submarines, and is expected to receive two new ones, currently under construction in Germany. According to foreign media sources, the new submarines will be equipped to carry nuclear warheads. The deal was originally approved by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, despite initial concerns that such ballistic capabilities may upset the nuclear balance in the region. Senior defense officials refused to comment directly, saying only that "The subject of the sixth submarine is currently being negotiation between the (Israeli and German) governments. It is inappropriate to hash the matter out in the media."

The Russian Northern Fleet Nuclear submarine accidents.

From 1961 up to the present, there have been a number of accidents and incidents involving Soviet/Russian nuclear submarines. At least 507 people have died in accidents on submarines throughout this period.  The most serious accidents have been caused by fires that have resulted in the sinking of the submarine, or by severe damage to the nuclear reactor following overheating of the reactor core (loss of coolant accidents) and a number of smaller incidents in which radioactivity has been released. Most of the vessels affected by accidents have belonged to the Russian Northern Fleet. This chapter discusses only those accidents that have resulted in the loss of life and/or in releases of radioactivity. There have also been a number of other incidents in which Northern Fleet submarines have been involved. These include collisions with other submarines, fires at naval bases and shipyards, submarines that have become entangled in trawler nets, accidents during test launches of submarine launched missiles, collisions with icebergs and so forth.

Sunken nuclear submarines.

As a consequence of either accident or extensive damage, there are six nuclear submarines that now lie on the ocean floor: two American vessels (USS Thresher and USS Scorpion) and four Soviet (K-8, K-219, K-278 Komsomolets and K-27). The two American submarines and three of the Soviet nuclear submarines sank as a result of accident; the fourth Soviet vessel was scuttled in the Kara Sea upon the decision of responsible authorities when repair was deemed impossible and decommissioning too expensive. All four of the Soviet submarines belonged to the Northern Fleet. Despite the differences in time and in location, the Soviet submarine accidents all followed a similar pattern

• Fire while submerged on return from patrol.

• Surfacing of the submarine. Attempts made to salvage the submarine, both in submerged and surface position. By the time of surfacing, vessel had already lost power and possibility for outside contact.

• Penetration of outside water into the vessel.

• Command post loss of control over submarine's essential systems.

• Loss of buoyancy and stability of pitch.

• Capsize and sinking.

It was not always an accident involving the nuclear reactor that caused these submarines to sink. On all of the Soviet vessels that have sunk, the reactor's shut-down mechanism had been engaged. For extra security, the control rods were lowered manually to their lowest position, an operation entailing such great risk of radiation that it presented a real threat to life. There have been a number of incidents involving naval nuclear reactors of the Northern Fleet that have had serious consequences. Among them are accidents that have resulted in the deaths or overexposure to radiation of the crew, as well as extensive damage to the submarine. The damage was expensive and difficult to repair; and in some instances, the damage to the vessel was so comprehensive that future use was impossible. The three most serious accidents involving Soviet nuclear submarines are described below. The two American submarine wrecks are discussed in the Appendix.

K-8

The first accident involving a Soviet nuclear submarine involved the Project 627 A - November class vessel K-8, which sank in the Bay of Biscaya on April 8, 1970 while returning from the exercise OKEAN. Two fires started simultaneously in both the third (central) and eighth compartments. The submarine surfaced, but the crew was unable to extinguish the fires. The reactor emergency systems kicked in, leaving the submarine with virtually no power. The auxiliary diesel generators could not be started either. The control room and all the neighbouring compartments were filled with fumes from the fire. Air was pumped into the aft most main ballast tanks in an attempt to keep the vessel afloat. By April 10, the air tanks had been emptied, and water began to flow into the seventh and eighth compartments. On the evening of April 10, part of the crew was evacuated to an escorting ship. On the morning of April 11 at 06:20, the submarine sank at a depth of 4680 metres following a loss of stability in pitch. Fifty two people died, including the captain of the vessel. Details of this accident were kept secret until 1991.

K-219

In October 1986, the strategic nuclear submarine K-219 (Project 667 A - Yankee class) sank in the Atlantic ocean north of Bermuda with ballistic missiles on board after an explosion in one of the missile tubes. The explosion caused a leak in the fourth compartment (missile compartment). Steam and smoke from the missile fuel began to stream out of the damaged missile tube. At the time of the explosion, only one of the vessel's two reactors was running. The submarine surfaced and the other reactor was started up. Despite the fact that water was beginning to come in, a fire broke out in the fourth compartment. A short in the electrical system tripped off one of the submarine's emergency systems. One life was lost in the struggle to lower the control rods. Though still in a surfaced position, the buoyancy of the submarine was steadily impaired when water filled the main ballast tank. When the second reactor broke down, the crew was transferred to a rescue vessel. The captain and nine crew members remained in the conning tower, but when the bow began to sink, they were obliged to abandon ship. On October 6, at 11:03, the submarine sank with a loss of four lives. The reason for the explosion in the missile tube is unclear. There are two theories of how the accident happened: a defect in the missile tube itself or a fire that broke out following a collision with an American submarine The submarine had two nuclear reactors and carried 16 nuclear missiles]

K-278 (Komsomolets)

In April, 1989, the nuclear submarine K-278, Komsomolets, (Project 685 - Mike class) sank in the Norwegian Sea following a fire. Komsomolets was a unique titanium-hulled submarine that could dive to depths of 1000 metres. On the morning of April 7, 1989, the vessel was on the way back to her base at Zapadnaya Litsa, positioned at a depth of 160m approximately 180km south of Bear Island. At 11:03 the alarm sounded due to a fire in the seventh compartment. Eleven minutes after the fire had broken out, the vessel surfaced. However, the fire had caused short circuits in the electrical system which set off the reactor's emergency systems. The fire was so fierce that a leak was sprung in the compressed air system, and this led in turn to a spreading of the fire. Attempts by the crew to extinguish the flames were futile. The submarine lost power, and finally ran out of compressed air. By 17:00, the leak had worsened, and the submarine lost buoyancy and stability. The crew began to be evacuated into life rafts, but there were not enough rafts. The life rafts that were lowered were too far away for the crew to reach. At 17:08, the submarine sank at a depth of 1685 meters, with a loss of 41 lives and her commander. The ship Aleksandr Khlobystsov which came to the rescue after 81 minutes took aboard 25 survivors and 5 fatalities. The exact cause of the fire is unknown. One speculation is that the concentration of oxygen in the seventh compartment was too high, setting off short circuits in the electrical system. The nuclear submarine Komsomolets sank in the Norwegian Sea on April 7, 1989, south of Bear Island. The submarine sank with its reactor and two nuclear warheads on board, and lies at a depth of 1 685 metres.  It has also been asserted that shortly before the accident, the vessel had completed a test that indicated it was not seaworthy. Others claim that K-278's crew was not qualified to serve on the Komsomolets

8.2 Reactor Accidents.

The most serious accident in which radioactivity is released is the meltdown of the reactor core on board the submarine. This is called a nuclear accident. There have been a number of both major and more minor incidents involving naval reactors. These accidents can be grouped into three categories according to the degree of severity:

• Nuclear accidents;

• Reactor accidents.

Nuclear accidents.

Nuclear accidents are classified either as "loss of control" (loss of regulation) accidents in which an uncontrolled chain reaction may occur, or as "loss of coolant accidents". There have been ten nuclear accidents in the entire period that Soviet nuclear submarines have been in operation, one of which occurred in 1970 during the construction of K-329, a vessel of the Charlie-I class. There were two incidents during refuelling operations on K-11 and K-431, another during repairs of a naval reactor at the shipyard (K-140), one during modifications of the submarine (K-222), four during operations at sea, and one during reactor shut down (K-314). Two of the accidents occurred on Pacific Fleet submarines, seven at the Northern Fleet, and one at the shipbuilding yard in Nizhny Novogorod

K-19

The first nuclear accident to occur on a Russian submarine was on the Northern Fleet's ballistic missile submarine K-19 (Project 658 - Hotel class). On July 4, 1961, during exercises in the North Atlantic, a leak developed in an inaccessible part of the submarine K-19's primary cooling circuit. The leak was specifically located to a pipe regulating the pressure within the primary cooling circuit. The leak caused a sudden drop in pressure, setting off the reactor emergency systems. To prevent overheating of the reactor, superfluous heat must be removed, and this is done by continually circulating coolant through the reactor. There was no built-in system for supplying coolant to the primary circuit, and it was feared that an uncontrolled chain reaction might start. An improvised system to supply coolant to the reactor was devised. This required officers and midshipmen to work for extended periods under radioactive conditions in the more remote areas of the reactor compartment as they attended to the leak in the primary circuit.[ The radiation in this case came from noxious gases and steam. All of the crew were exposed to substantial doses of radiation, and eight men died of acute radiation sickness after having undergone doses of 50 to 60 Sv (5000 - 6000 rem). The crew was evacuated to a diesel submarine, and K-19 was towed home to base on the Kola Peninsula

K-11

The second nuclear accident to occur was in February 1965 aboard the Project 627 - November class submarine K-11. The submarine lay in dock at the naval yard in Severodvinsk and work was underway to remove the reactor core (Operation No. 1). On February 6, the reactor lid was opened, and the following day, the lid was lifted without having first secured the control rods Releases of radioactive steam were detected with an abrupt deterioration of conditions. Radiation monitors were going off scale, and all personnel were withdrawn. No work was done on the submarine over the course of the next five days while the specialists tried to discover the reason for the problem. The wrong conclusions were drawn, and the raising of the reactor lid was attempted again on February 12. Once again, the control rods had not been secured, and when the reactor lid was raised, there were releases of steam and a fire broke out. There are no data on radioactive contamination levels or radiation exposure of the personnel. The reactor was finally retired and replaced

K-27

On May 24, 1968, the nuclear submarine K-27 (Project 645) was out at sea. During sea trials, the nuclear reactor had operated at reduced power, and on May 24, power inexplicably suddenly dropped. Attempts by the crew to restore power levels failed. Simultaneously, gamma radiation in the reactor compartment increased to 150 R/h. Radioactive gases were released to the reactor compartment from the safety buffer tank, and radiation on board the submarine increased. The reactor was shut down, and approximately 20% of the fuel assemblies were damaged. The incident was caused by problems in the cooling of the reactor coreThe entire submarine was scuttled in the Kara Sea in 1981

K-140

In August 1968, the Project 667 A - Yankee class nuclear submarine K-140 was in the naval yard at Severodvinsk for repairs. On August 27, an uncontrolled increase of the reactor's power occurred following work to upgrade the vessel. One of the reactors started up automatically when the control rods were raised to a higher position. Power increased to 18 times its normal amount, while pressure and temperature levels in the reactor increased to four times the normal amount. The automatic start-up of the reactor was caused by the incorrect installation of the control rod electrical cables and by operator error. Radiation levels aboard the vessel deteriorated

K-429

In 1970, while the brand new Project 670 - Charlie class submarine K-329 lay in harbour at the shipbuilding yard Krasnoe Sormovo in Nizhny Novgorod, there was an uncontrolled start up of the ship's reactor. This led to a fire and the release of radioactivity

K-222

On September 30, 1980, the submarine K-222 was at the factory in Severodvinsk due for a thorough reactor check. During the course of work, the submarine's crew left for lunch leaving the factory personnel on board the vessel. As a result of a breach in the pertinent procedural instructions, power was sent through the safety rod mechanisms without the controls also being engaged. Following a failure in the automatic equipment, there was an uncontrolled raising of the control rods with a subsequent uncontrolled start up of the reactor. As a result of this, the reactor core was damaged. This is one of the Pacific Fleet's Echo-I class nuclear submarines. This vessel suffered a leak of radioactivity following a fire while it lay off the coast of Japan on August 21, 1980. The crew on deck have put on protective clothing against the radioactive gasses from the reactor compartment. Nine crew members died in the fire and three others were injured.
 

K-123

On August 8, 1982, while on duty in the Barents Sea, there was a release of liquid metal coolant from the reactor of the Project 705 - Alfa class submarine K-123. The accident was caused by a leak in the steam generator. Approximately two tons of metal alloy leaked into the reactor compartment, irreparably damaging the reactor such that it had to be replaced.[590] It took nine years to repair the submarine.

K-314

On August 10, 1985, the Project 671 - Victor-I class submarine K-314 was at the Chazhma Bay naval yard outside Vladivostok. The reactor went critical during refuelling operations because the control rods had been incorrectly removed when the reactor lid was raised. The ensuing explosion led to the release of large amounts of radioactivity, contaminating an area of 6km in length on the Shotovo Peninsula and the sea outside the naval yard. Ten people working on the refuelling of the vessel died in the accident. The damaged reactor compartment still contains its nuclear fuel.

K-431

In December 1985, the reactor of the nuclear submarine K-431 (Project 675 - Echo-II class) overheated while the vessel was returning to base outside Vladivostok. It is now laid up at the naval base in Pavlovsk.

K-192 (formerly K-131)

On June 25, 1989, while on the way back to its base at Gadzhievo on the Kola Peninsula, the Project 675 - Echo-II class class submarine K-192 suffered an accident involving one of the two reactors on board. At the time of the accident, the submarine was in the Norwegian Sea, about 100 km north-west of Senja in Troms and approximately 350 km south of Bear Island. A leak was discovered in the primary circuit, and the submarine surfaced immediately. Because of the leak, the levels of coolant in the primary circuit had dropped, and the crew hooked up water from the submarine's fresh water tanks. The reactor was not immediately shut down. The contaminated water from the leak was pumped out into the sea, but there is no information about its activity level. When the vessel's fresh water supplies had been consumed, a hose was connected from the Soviet freighter Konstantin Yuon to maintain a supply of coolant to the reactor. Afterwards, the reactor was shut down, and the submarine ran on its diesel engines around the Finnmark coast towards the Kola Peninsula. The temperature of the coolant was at 150°C on the morning of June 26, 120°C the same evening, and 108°C on June 27. Releases of radioactive iodine were detected in the areas immediately surrounding the submarine, and sometime later, also at a monitoring post at Vardø in Finnmark.[596] The Northern Fleet service ship Amur also came to the assistance of K-192, and the radioactive contaminated coolant was transferred to Amur which had a treatment facility on board for liquid radioactive waste. On June 26, the crew of K-192 made an attempt to close the leak in the pipe from the cooling system, and in order to accomplish this, the supply of coolant from Amur was shut off. It is not known how long the coolant supply was shut off; however, the individual in charge of monitoring the coolant supply "forgot" to turn it on again when he left his post to go and eat dinner. This person later claimed that he had not in fact forgotten, but was waiting for orders to turn on the supply again. These orders did not come before dinner. Due to the loss of coolant, the temperature in the reactor increased and the alarm went. The supply of coolant was immediately switched on again, but too late. The supply of cold coolant led to the cracking of the overheated fuel assemblies, and water came into contact with the uranium fuel. The heavily contaminated water being pumped over to Amur led to the breakdown of the treatment plant. Subsequently, water was taken in directly from the sea and pumped out into it again. The total activity and amounts of contaminated water released from K-192 into the sea is not known. At this point, the vessel was positioned in international waters somewhere between the North Cape and the Kola Coast, more than 12 nautical miles off the coast. On June 28, K-192 arrived at the Ara Bay base facility belonging to the naval base at Gadzhievo.[598] At base the activity of the contaminated coolant was estimated at 0.3 Ci/l, totalling 74 TBq, 2 000 Ci.[599] The submarine's crew received doses of up to 40 mSv (4 rem). K-192 was laid up at the base facility in the Ara Bay until 1994 when it was towed to Navy yard No. 10 - Shkval. Compressed air is now pumped into the hull to maintain buoyancy. The fuel assemblies in the damaged reactor cannot be removed by standard procedures

K-8

On October 13, 1960, one of the most serious accidents involving a naval reactor occurred on a Northern Fleet vessel. The incident was caused by a loss of coolant to the reactor, and is classified accordingly. The Project 627 - November class submarine K-8 was on exercise in the Barents Sea when a leak developed in the steam generators and in a pipe leading to the compensator reception. The equipment for blocking these leaks was also damaged such that the crew itself began the work of stopping the leak. They mounted a provisional system for supplying water to the reactor to ensure cooling of the reactor and thereby avoid the risk of a core melt in the reactor. Large amounts of radioactive gases leaked out which contaminated the entire vessel. The true activity of the gases could not be determined because the instrumentation only went to a certain level. Three of the crew suffered visible radiation injuries, and according to radiological experts in Moscow, certain crew members had been exposed to doses of up to 1.8 - 2 Sv (180 - 200 rem.

Some SSN nuclear power units failure and accidents causing radiation discharge.

Fires on Submarines resulting in loss of life.

In addition to the accidents involving fires whereby the vessels themselves were lost, there have been four serious accidents involving fires on Northern Fleet nuclear submarines that have resulted in the loss of human life.

K-3

On September 8, 1967, while sailing in the Norwegian Sea on the way home to its base on the Kola Peninsula, a fire broke out on board the nuclear submarine K-3 (Project 627 A - November class). The fire started in the submarine's hydraulic system, and crew members in the compartment when the fire broke out had to evacuate the compartment. This resulted in the flames spreading to other parts of the submarine. The automatic extinguishers were based on CO2 gas, and this gas killed the crew members who were in the first and second compartments foremost in the submarine. When the dividing door in the bulkhead from the third compartment was opened to see what had happened to the people in the second compartment, the gas spread, and more people lost consciousness. The foremost compartments were then completely sealed off, and the submarine surfaced. Four days later, K-3 had returned to base. A total of 39 crew members died in the fire .

K-19

On February 24, 1972, while the vessel was on patrol in the North Atlantic, a fire broke out in the ninth compartment on board the Project 658 - Hotel class submarine K-19. The fire started at 10:23 AM, and the ninth compartment was immediately closed off to prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of the vessel. Twelve crew members in the tenth compartment aft in the submarine were thereby isolated, and were not rescued until March 18, after 24 days of fighting the fire. A total of 28 people died in the fire which was caused by a break in one of the hydraulic pipes. Over 30 ships were involved in the rescue of K-19, and the submarine finally returned to base on the Kola Peninsula on April 4.

K-47

On the 26 of September 1976 when the submarine K-47 was in the Barents Sea on its way to the home port fire broke up in the 8-th compartment. 8 crew members died of injuries.

K-131

On June 18, 1984, a fire broke out in the eighth compartment aboard the Project 675 - Echo-II class submarine K-131. This submarine too was returning to base on the Kola Peninsula. The cause of the accident was that the clothes of one of the crew members caught fire while he was working on some electrical equipment. The fire spread to the seventh compartment and caused the death of 13 crew members.

Some Emergencies on SSNs.

Causes of  Submarine Accidents.

The complex "man-machine" system represented in the modern nuclear submarine, increases the risk of accidents. The causes of the various accidents depend to a large extent on both the qualities of the reactor and the situation leading up to the accident. The existing framework of project development, building and delivery of military technology (navy) and ammunition is not regulated by law, but by decree of defunct authorities, such as the Central Committee of the Communist Party, various councils of Soviet ministers, the military-industrial complex, as well as joint decisions handed down by the Ministry of Ship Building and the Ministry of the Navy. The administrative body of the military industrial complex, led by the vice-chairman of the council of ministers, itself issued the documents that established the norms, and it was this same body that monitored and enforced the norms that it had itself created. The practice of merging the functions of public agencies contributed to the fact that the Navy itself did not take part in working out quality control and safety requirements for nuclear submarines. Even if the Navy politely refused to receive equipment that they knew in advance to be defective, it could nonetheless be forced to accept it through a common resolution issued by the authorities. This structure of resolutions and decrees has followed the delivery of all new nuclear submarines to the Soviet Navy. Soviet nuclear submarines were built under enormous time constraints. If the Central Committee of the Communist Party had determined that a particular submarine was to be built by the close of a certain year or a particular season, the submarine yards could not postpone delivery, even if the vessel had not been completed or undergone sea trials. Hence nuclear submarines were often delivered to the Navy without all the necessary safety equipment having been installed. Furthermore, the procedural guidelines and the specifications of the contract were modified and simplified. It was not uncommon for a nuclear submarine to be delivered to the Navy from the building yard with missing or defective parts. In 1989 there were 529 complaints of nuclear submarines being delivered with faulty equipment. In 1990-91 a new nuclear submarine was returned to the building yard due to numerous defects in the mechanical equipment. Another submarine was delivered without light switches having been installed in the cabins or in the missile compartment. The servicing and repair of nuclear submarines was carried out at naval yards that fell under the jurisdiction of different authorities. This system was established at the dawning of the age of nuclear submarines and it came to the full during the cold war. Almost 25 nuclear submarine projects were initiated and developed during this period. The lack of sufficient standardisation led to problems in the planning stage, in the competence levels of the crew and in an unavailability of spare parts. The quality and safety of the equipment was compromised, and this has been one of the most important contributing factors to the higher incidence of accidents amongst Soviet nuclear submarines as compared to for example American vessels. There were also many common factors in the accidents on board Russian nuclear submarines, reflected again and again in the accident statistics:

• The frequency of accidents was increased as early as the planning stage due to technological deficiencies in a number of areas (information, securing secrets of propulsion and means of carrying out research) and deficiencies in construction. One of the main problems was the poor quality of the metals and materials that were used.

• At the construction stage, breaches in the technological standards by the builders affected the quality of the finished product such that the finished submarines that were actually delivered to the Navy fell short of the quality of their design.. Furthermore, the schedule for delivery of various systems and parts, as well as the order in which operations were completed and breaches in the proper technical procedures, all contributed to lowering the quality of the submarine. The quality of the work was poor due to a lack of technical understanding amongst the workers. In some instances, there was not even enough technical equipment at the navy shipyards and floating bases.

• During the testing and approval stage, there were interruptions to the schedule due to delays in deliveries and installation of parts and systems. Under outside pressure from concerned parties, the submarines were approved even before the equipment on board had been tested.

• The frequency of accidents also increased during the submarines' operational life due to poor maintenance, a disregard of the directions for use and improper procedures for technical equipment and ammunition. The crew were assigned to tasks other than their direct responsibilities, and therefore were lacking in training, especially with regards to measures designed to ensure the survivability of the submarine. At one time, one submarine commander sent in a complaint that eleven of the 28 new members of the crew could not speak Russian and therefore were not qualified to work with the nuclear reactor. Many of the new crew for the nuclear submarines had received only six months training, training that often was insufficient or irrelevant to the situations they might confront on a nuclear submarine.[608] There was a widespread irresponsible attitude from incompetent outside specialists. The crews were too inexperienced to be able to foresee potential dangers that could lead to critical situations while the submarine was in operation. The search and rescue bases, which have shown a lack of co-ordination in conducting searches, weakened overall preparedness in a number of accidents. The absence of formal conclusions at inquests and a lack of ready information in response to the questions about the nature of the accidents and their frequency resulted in a failure to implement measures to improve the conditions on board the nuclear submarines.

A number of general measures could be implemented to reduce the frequency of accidents, including the following:

• Transition and transformation into a professional navy.

• Reform of the governing powers in the military industrial complex; division into legislative, executive and administrative functions.

• Development, production and delivery of ships and military technology regulated by law.

Without implementing these types of reforms, it will be difficult to reduce the frequency of accidents.

There are three main factors contributing to the safe operation and use of nuclear submarines:

• The quality of the design and construction of the vessel, its ammunition and technical equipment;

• Skill in the operation of nuclear submarines and in the use of pertinent technology over the course of the vessel's operational lifetime;

• Professional training of the crew and professional administration of work on nuclear submarines.

Russia continues to lead the world in the field of submerged speed and deep-diving submarines. The shipbuilding industry in the former Soviet Union expended considerable resources and employed experienced and highly skilled personnel to build its submarines. This made it possible to build submarines at a rapid pace; however, there were hardly any vessels, submarines or surface vessels, that were delivered to the Navy free of flaws. The deficiencies were often serious. As a rule, nuclear submarines were delivered from the shipbuilding yards at the end of the year. Regardless of the circumstances, the shipbuilding yard had to guarantee that the vessel would be delivered no later than December 31. Tremendous pressure was put on the chairman of the State Committee for Approval from the whole hierarchy of the Ministry of Shipping and Industry, and strange though it may seem, he was also pressured by the Chief Commander of the Navy. The chairman faced a choice between telling the truth about the condition of the submarines - and thereby lose his job - or else avoiding the question. The latter course of action was invariably chosen. Regardless of incompletion or missing parts, nuclear submarines were delivered to the Navy as long as they were capable of operating under their own steam. Every so often, a submarine might remain at the building yard until it was capable of operating independently. A special contract was established entitled Joint Decisions of the Ministry of Shipping and the Navy, where the building yards promised to improve or amend faults and deficiencies within a certain period of time. The Navy also agreed to this. Any submarine that formally entered service with the Navy could be assigned to any kind of assignment or mission within the Navy's sphere of operation, including battle. However, there was no sense of concern or organised plan for conditions of storm or chaos; nor were there any preparations made for such emergencies. It was precisely here that accidents could happen. A serious consequence of this lack of concern was its unfortunate effect on the attitude of the crew - rather than feeling a sense of responsibility themselves, they simply signed on for duty on incomplete nuclear submarines and hoped for the best.

The day-to-day running of a nuclear submarine involves a whole series of routine procedures and operations, ranging from weekly monitoring and overhaul to varying and more extensive service procedures at the shipyard. The execution of such work requires a sufficient number of naval yards and repair shops, as well as spare parts and operative materiel. The bulk of the Northern Fleet's resources was allocated to the development and construction of its main components: ships and ammunition. The rest received what was left - but this was very little. By the end of the 1980s, the Soviet Union had more nuclear and diesel submarines than all the other nations of the world combined. Yet Russia's submarines barely achieved half of the American operational life. The useful life of the Russian submarine was shortened by the limited possibilities for repair and an underdeveloped industry. The division of labour aboard the nuclear submarines could also have been better. Today, the vessel's commanding officer has total responsibility. He is also liable for mistakes made by his subordinates, even when it is apparent that another individual's poor judgement has caused the error. The problem is that the commanding officer seldom has the opportunity to discharge this responsibility. Furthermore, the crew of submarines, especially officers, work under conditions of constant physical and psychological overload, with irregular working hours and rest periods.

Japanese Midget Submarine found.           

The remains of a Japanese mini-submarine that participated in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor have been discovered, researchers are to report today, offering strong evidence that the sub fired its torpedoes at Battleship Row.
Five mini-subs were to participate in the strike, but four were scuttled, destroyed or run aground without being a factor in the attack. The fate of the fifth has remained a mystery. But a variety of new evidence suggests that the fifth fired its two 800-pound torpedoes, most likely at the battleships West Virginia and Oklahoma, capsizing the latter. A day later, researchers think, the mini-sub's crew scuttled it in nearby West Loch.  The loch was also the site of a 1944 disaster in which six tank landing ships preparing for the secret invasion of Saipan were destroyed in an ammunition explosion that killed 200 sailors and wounded hundreds more. When the Navy scooped up the remains of the so-called LSTs and dumped them outside the harbor to protect the secrecy of the invasion, it apparently also dumped the mini-sub's remains, which were mingled with the damaged U.S. ships. The two-man, 80-foot-long sub in question [of the Ko-hyoteki class] does not have a name of its own. Each of the five subs in the attack was carried by a conventional submarine and took its name from the mother boat. It is thus called the I-16-tou -- tou being Japanese for boat. Powered by a 600-horsepower electric motor, the sub could reach underwater speeds of 19 knots, twice as fast as many of the U.S. subs of the day. The Japanese navy modified net cutters on the subs for specific missions, and the one on the wreck was identical to those on the other mini-subs. No torpedoes were found on the wreck, and evidence suggests that they were not present when the boat was sunk. A newly declassified photograph taken by a Japanese plane during the attack appeared to show a mini-sub firing a torpedo into Battleship Row. A report to Congress in 1942 by Adm. Chester W. Nimitz describes an unexploded 800-pound torpedo recovered after the battle. That's twice the size carried by the torpedo bombers. That torpedo was apparently a dud that missed the West Virginia. But an examination of the remains of the Oklahoma shows that it apparently had underwater damage much larger than that associated with aerial torpedoes. An underwater blast would have caused it to capsize, Stephenson said. "Otherwise it would have settled to the bottom upright," like the other sunken ships.  Five of the Ko-hyoteki midget submarines were used to attack Pearl Harbor. Some were captured in wrecked condition shortly after the attack, like this one, washed up on the beach at Oahu.




One midget submarine was claimed as sunk by the destroyer USS Ward on the morning of the Pearl Harbor attack. Long dismissed, her claim was ultimately verified by the discovery of the wreck of the submarine she attacked, with shell holes precisely where the Ward claimed to have hit her. The photograph below shows the Ward's victim on the seabed.




The Ko-hyoteki class midget submarines were also used to attack the harbor in Sydney, Australia, in 1942. Several Ko-hyoteki class midget submarines are on display. One is in the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX; another may be seen at the US Navy Submarine Force Museum in Groton, CT; and one is mounted ashore on the Pacific island of Guam (shown below).




 

HUNT FOR THE SAMURAI SUBS.

Just before the atomic bomb forced Japan into submission, the Imperial Navy sent a fleet of incredibly advanced combat subs to attack a major U.S. naval base in the Pacific. But when Japan surrendered, the U.S. Navy confiscated them, only to later have them scuttled near Hawaii when Soviet scientists demanded access. The war machines’ precise location would remain a mystery for decades. Now a team of explorers thinks they can find some of these lost subs in the Pacific’s dark waters. From the Hawaiian island of Oahu, deep submergence vehicle pilots Terry Kerby and Max Cremer, along with a team of devoted explorers, prepare to dive to depths of nearly 3,000 feet to hunt for some of WWII’s largest and fastest submarines — in a Japanese super-submarine graveyard ? and solve one of the war’s great mysteries. The I-400 class Japanese submarines built during WWII were the largest submarines ever built, at 400 feet long (or longer than a football field), until the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines in the 1950s and ‘60s.

• With a range of 37,500 miles at 14 knots, the I-400 class submarines were able to go one and a half times around the globe without refueling, a capability that has never been matched by any other diesel-electric submarine.

• Special aircraft-carrying submarines with powerful torpedoes were built to attack the U.S. mainland.  Their target later changed to the Panama Canal, but they never carried out either mission.

• At the end of WWII, the U.S. Navy captured the subs and sailed five of them for evaluation:  three aircraft-carrying submarines (I-400, I-401, I-14) and two fast attack subs (I-201, I-203).

• The United States was the only country that performed inspections on this technology.  When the Soviet Union demanded access in 1946, the U.S. Navy scuttled the subs off the coast of Oahu.

• Japan’s aircraft-carrying submarines carried up to three bombers, which could be launched off the deck of the submarine by catapult ? some in as few as seven minutes.

• The Aichi M6A1 Seiran plane built for the subs could carry one aerial torpedo or a bomb weighing nearly 1,800 pounds, along with a crew of two — a pilot and an observer.

• Japanese subs used the powerful Type 95 torpedo, which utilized pure oxygen to burn kerosene, giving it three times the range of the Allies’ torpedoes. They were also harder to detect and avoid because of their reduced wake.

• The I-400 sub had radar so it could detect the enemy.  Its exterior had a sonar-absorbing coating, making it less detectible.

• Crew aboard the aircraft-carrying submarine were limited to drinking half a cup of liquid with every meal, and were prohibited from taking showers or washing their clothes.  There was only one toilet aboard, and waste tanks were often not emptied for fear of the enemy detecting them.

Wide shot of the Sen-Toku class “special attack” sub emphasizing the stern section (computer generated image).

A deck gun located on the I-401 submarine wreck, with the Hawaii Undersea Research Lab’s Pisces submersible in the background.

At the scene of a I-14 underwater submarine wreck, the Pisces looking at the deck gun of I-14. The I-14 is one of 5 Japanese submarines sunk by the US Navy in 1946.

A close up shot of triple deck gun at the scene of the I-401 underwater submarine wreck. The I-401 is one of 5 Japanese submarines sunk by the US Navy in 1946.

The conning tower and machine gun on a Sen-Taka class “fast attack” submarine (computer generated image).

Hanger with two Seiran planes on a AM-Class submarine (computer generated image).

Three Seirans sitting inside the hanger of a Sen-Toku class “special attack” submarine (computer generated image).

Machine gun on the deck of Sen-Taka class “fast attack” submarine (computer generated image).

Seiran plane being catapulted from the deck of a Sen-Toku class “special attack” submarine (computer generated image).

U-BOATS FOR SALE.
These U-boats are ex military diesel-electric submarines, 300 feet (90m) long. Designed for continental shelf operations, with a range of two thousand miles. These submarines are not always in working order, and may have been partially stripped of some internal parts. Ideal for conversion to use as maritime museums, cocktail bars or restaurants in static locations. Crew: 75. Displacement: 2,475 tons. 

Russian Foxtrot diesel-electric submarine in working order. US$11 million.

Swordfish diesel-electric submarine in working order. Two available. US$POA

                          NEW **** RUSSIAN SUBMERSIBLES FOR IMMEDIATE SALE **** 

As always we have a wide range of submarines (big and small), plus workclass and eyeball Rovs for sale. Priced to suit all budgets and tasks. Silvercrest Submarines can arrange submarine and Rov maintenance programmes, and Pilot Training courses for purchasers. Submarine certification and refit programmes can also be provided. Further information available on request.

Please contact us at anytime to discuss your underwater vehicle requirements. We are always happy to exchange ideas and offer advice.

Submersible, ROV and Subsea Motors.

Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest offer complete submersible electric motor rewinds, submersible motor rebuilding, electrical conversion and construction modification.  Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest can repair and completely rebuild the following listed motors. Alstra, Aturia, Bamsa, B. J., Elmaksan, Exodyne/EEMI, G.E., Mercury, Oddesse, Pleuger, Saer, S.M.E., Subteck, Sumo, Sun Star, U.S.

Submersible Motor Engineering/Silvercrest Repair and rewind of large high voltage (500kW 6600V) submersible electric motors.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING/SILVERCREST offer High Temperature Submersible motors in 6"to 20" frames suitable for operation in ambient of 75 Deg.C. High Voltage water filled submersible motors (300V, 4160V and 6600V). Upgraded Temperature Monitoring unit available with new improved user-friendly parameter setting.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING ROV motors suitable for depths of 4000M.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING/ SILVERCREST, design, manufacture, and supply, submersible electric motors for deep well submersible pumps, SUBSEA and ROV electric motors for SUBSEA equipment, submersible electric motors for sump pumps, and any special purpose submersible electric motor requirements.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING/SILVERCREST also offer complete motor repair and rewind of all name brands of submersible motors, both water and oil filled.

Reliability applications to submersible turbine pumps and associated equipment.

Over the last quarter century there has been exponential growth in the Equipment Condition Monitoring Industry due to the benefits in costs savings when applied to industry. The following is an overview of how this same technology can be applied to submersible pump applications. 

Unforeseen equipment failures are impacting facility performance standards.

Equipment run times are below expectations.

Excessive wear is requiring extensive repairs

Secondary damage such as motor repairs due to running with excessive pump wear. 

The current reliability program does not meet corporate or agency mandates.

Facility managers have a feeling of “running blind” in that they can only hope that spare equipment does not fail while repairs are made to primary units.

All of the above can be managed effectively with the current technology at hand when applied in a coherent manner. Determining equipment condition and providing analysis to the end user is a fairly strait forward process. The return on investment (ROI) is dependent on the customer’s ability to assimilate the information and apply it effectively. It is then the challenge and task of the consultant to understand that potential and monitor the program to insure the best overall value is realized. Thus in going forward, in any program there must first be goals and benefits to be expected, then a means to quantify. With respect to submersible pump applications, a combination of monitoring the motor and pump is critical. The addition of frequency based vibration analysis and pump performance trending along with utilizing existing motor temperature data (RTD transmitters), provides a powerful tool in allowing facility managers to make decisions based on equipment condition. Equipment maintenance then can be managed on a condition based program as opposed to the customary reaction based “fix it when it fails” approach. Many times the pump performance is adequate enough to meet surface flow requirements even while the unit is in advanced stages of mechanical failure. When this situation goes unnoticed, excessive pump repairs and unnecessary motor damage occurs. By adding vibration analysis and pump performance trending, mechanical integrity can be established, monitored thus enhancing the ability to manage operations and maintenance. The role of the Reliability Consultant is to understand the anatomy of the equipment in use, the correct application of technology available and where the potential value is for the customer.

In our experience with monitoring rotating equipment there are three fundamental benefits in which one or two may apply to any given process. To relate this to submersible pump applications:

Pump and motor mechanical integrity

Pump water to wire efficiency

Secondary damage requiring extensive repairs

The ability to monitor key performance indicators (KPI) enables the analyst to identify changes in pump efficiency and mechanical health.

 Typical Key Performance Indicators monitored are:

Amperage (3 legs)

Voltage (3 legs)

Actual RPM

Thrust bearing temperature

Winding temperatures

Top end bearing temperature

Vibration (frequency based spectrums analysis)

Water to Wire efficiency (KW vs GPM)

Pump design vs pump performance

Fluid level, flow, discharge pressure.

The availability of acceleration data from the submersible vibration sensor provides verification of defects indicated from surface monitors as well as mechanical defects that would be undetectable otherwise. By monitoring these KPI in concert and trending values the following can be detected and typically identified with relative confidence.

CAVITATION.

Excessive bearing clearances within pump and motor

Pump impeller damage or imbalance

Pump to motor coupling defects

Motor rotor bar defects

Motor winding defects

Inadequate cooling across the motor

Changes in well bore entry (fluid levels)

Surface drive unbalance

Holes or leaks in column pipe (tubing)

Plugged or restricted pump suction issues

When a progressive decline in pump performance or a mechanical defect is identified, it can be trended for increases and maintenance scheduled prior to failure based on condition and where it is in the normal life cycle. An example of the value in this is where there may be 8 pumps in service, and 6 must be online at any given time to meet minimum requirements. In the course of monitoring it is established that one unit is in advanced stages of wear, and two other units are in moderate stages:

Removing the unit in advanced stages and repairing while reasonable life is expected for the remaining 7 units provides knowledge that meeting a minimum of 6 units online can be expected and repairs are reasonably minor limited to a worn pump. In contrast, most maintenance programs would allow the more advanced unit to run until failure, in which case the other two moderate units now have advanced to later stages of life unbeknown to operations. A scenario now arises that one unit is down for extensive repairs such as motor and pump, and two of the remaining 7 units are in a high probability of failure thus exposing the operation to less than the minimum of 6 units in service. Another example of condition-based maintenance is seasonal considerations that provide unique advantages to maintenance on a scheduled basis.

Infant mortality issues can be identified when units are first installed, prior to demobilizing pulling equipment. This can provide significant savings.

When monitoring water to wire efficiency, and comparing expected annual operating expense of new equipment vs. existing, pump replacement can be made based on annual economical expense considerations. A considerable savings in energy costs can be realized with the added benefit of increased reliability in having new equipment in service.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING Heat Exchanger Motors.

Submersible Motor Engineering now offer a complete range of water filled, water tight, submersible motors with integral heat exchangers in the 10",12",14" and 16" for 2 pole and 4 pole speeds.

These motors offer a significantly lower temperature rise when compared with standard submersible motors. This is an advantage that can be utilized when customers want to operate in water with a high ambient temperature or when there will be minimal cooling water flow.

Even with the standard applications the lower temperature rise will extend the life of the motor significantly. There is an accepted rule of thumb for electrical insulation that its life is shortened by one half for every 10°C increase in operating temperature. The winding operating temperature for a normal water filled submersible motor is about 70 Deg. C in 25 Deg. C. water, while a SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING Heat Exchanger Motor will be running at about 45 Deg. C. - this is 25 Dec. C. cooler. This magnitude of difference in temperature rise will have a significant positive impact on motor life.

The basic design principle for these motors is to circulate the internal water in the motor to remove the heat from the "active" parts of the motor and then pass it through a heat exchanger which brings the internal water back to somewhere close to the external ambient water temperature - before feeding it back through the "active" parts again to remove more heat.  The heat exchanger increases the external surface area of the motor by 50% and the water circulation allows the heat to dissipate more evenly and quickly out of the motor and into the external water.  The small impeller inside the motor that circulates the water has an insignificant impact on the motor efficiency in terms of additional load, while the motor has an improved efficiency because the stator and rotor copper losses are reduced due to the lower operating temperature.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON SUBMERSIBLE ELECTRIC MOTORS.

Submersible electric motors are generally long and thin and designed to operate in a borehole coupled to a submersible multistage pump. In recent years the motors have been used in a number of different applications.

Typical applications are:

Submersible pumps for water supply - drinking water and industrial water. Booster pumps for high-rise buildings. Mine dewatering. Dewatering for Civil Engineering Projects. Irrigation. Fire fighting and sprinkler systems. Air conditioning systems. Offshore oil rigs - for pumping of seawater as ballast, and as fire pumps. Water treatment plants. Fountains.

These motors, with multistage pumps attached, are designed to be lowered into a small diameter borehole to pump ground water. Typical bore holes have 4",6",8",10",12" and 14" internal diameters usually this is a steel or plastic pipe which is pushed into a hole after it is drilled to form the well liner or well casing.

The motors are actually smaller than their dimensional name implies. The Inch dimension actually refers to the ID of the hole not the motor diameter. The motors need to be smaller than the hole to allow water to pass between the motor and the well liner and into the pump.

There are two different types of submersible motor:

Water filled Type, and  Oil filled Type.

Note: Oil filled motors can be filled with a Vegetable oil which is safe for human consumption, however most water Authorities do not want to take the risk of consumers complaining of oil in their water, which could happen, if and when, the oil leaks from the motor.

Costs vs Reliability.

Canned type motors are slightly more expensive than oil filled or water filled motors. Oil filled motors in the smaller sizes are less expensive than water filled motors.   Canned and water filled motors tend to be more reliable than the oil filled motors, because of the difficulty of ensuring that the oil can expand and contract without escaping from the motor.  

 Cooling and Good Water Flow

These motors rely on good water flow past the motor. Water flow velocity must be between 0.5 ft/sec. to 10 ft/sec. (15cm/sec to 300 cm/sec). If the flow is less than this the motors will probably overheat and burn out. Surprisingly if the flow is more than this, motors will also overheat and burn out because the high velocity does not allow efficient heat transfer from the motor to the water. These motors are designed for high power outputs in small sizes in comparison with normal air-cooled motors. Because water is a very efficient cooling medium, compared with air, the current density in the stator winding is much higher than an air-cooled motor. This is acceptable provided the external body of the motor is efficiently cooled be the external water. If there is no external water flow or if the external water ambient temperature is too high the motor will overheat. If the internal water reaches boiling point it will form steam that will force its way out of the motor past the seals. If enough steam escapes the top bearing will run dry and fail, or the winding wire will melt and cause a catastrophic failure in the winding.  

Oil is a good conductor of heat compared to air, but not as good as water.

Oil cooled motors are more tolerant to overheating, but in general the oils used in these motors can only operate up to 120 Deg.C. before they start to degenerate ¨C the oil turns black and has a burnt motor when the motor is opened.   Oil cooled motors have to be designed to allow the oil to expand as it heats up. Typically the internal oil will expand by 10% and the bellows have to be able to expand by 10% as the motor heats up and contract again when the motor cools down. In reality the oil will eventually leak out and water will enter the motor causing failure.   Water does not expand very much as it heats up so it is easier to design the bellows to allow for the expansion and contraction. Internal water will probably escape from the motor and / or external water will enter the motor eventually, however this should not be a problem for the water cooled motor unless sand or foreign matter manages to enter the motor, as this will probably lead to increased wear on the bearings and eventual mechanical failure.

Winding and Electrical Test Procedures for Submersible Motor Engineering.

Minimum Test Requirements for New or Rewound Stators prior to Assembly are as follows:

1000 Volts to 3300 Volts - Wet Wound Motors.  

Whole stator is submerged in water and pressurized to 30 psi for 30 minutes and then Hi Pot tested at Rated Voltage x 2 + 1600 Volts for 1 minute.        

380 Volts to 1000 Volts.

Whole stator is submerged in water and pressurized to 30 psi for 30 minutes and then Hi Pot tested at Rated Voltage x 2 + 1600 Volts for 1 minute.      

Minimum Test Requirements for Stators during Assembly are as follows:        

1000 Volts to 3300 Volts.

1. Insulation Resistance Test - Megger Test - 5000 Volts DC for 1 minute.  2. Dielectric Absorption Test - Megger Test - 1000 Volts DC for 10 minutes.  3. Hi Pot Test - Rated Voltage x 2 + 1600 Volts for 1 minute for new or rewound stators. Rated voltage x 2 for 1 minute for reconditioned stators.   4. Surge Test at 2000 Volts DC.        

380 Volts to 1000 Volts.

• Insulation Resistance Test - Megger Test - 1000 Volts DC for 1 minute. 2. Dielectric Absorption Test - Megger Test - 1000 Volts DC for 10 minutes. 3. Hi Pot Test - Rated Voltage x 2 + 1600 Volts for 1 minute for new or rewound stators. Rated voltage x 2 for 1 minute for reconditioned stators.  4. Surge Test at 500 Volts DC.
•  Tests are to be performed in the sequence specified.

The Engineering Department is to be consulted immediately if any Stators fail a Test.

If the polarization Index is less than 2, consult the Engineering Department.

Pass/Fail criteria are based on IEC standards, IEEE Standards, and the Baker Surge Test Manual.

Test motor with a full set of BJM tests and record the results.

No Load Running.

Run Motor on No Load - preferably in the Vertical position.
Adjust voltage and frequency to match Nameplate voltage and frequency.
Record: Voltage on all 3 phases, amps on all 3 phases, RPM, Vibration Levels at DE and NDE in both planes, time motor takes to stop after power off.
Compare results with standard figures and other similar motors. Advise Engineering Department immediately if there is a discrepancy.

Water in Drop Cables or Motor Leads for a Submersible Motor

Water can enter the supply cables to a Submersible Motor if there is damage to the cable insulation or if the spliced joints have not been made completely watertight. If this happens there will probably be catastrophic damage to the windings due to high currents flowing through the windings

Likely Causes

• Spliced joints between Drop Cables and Motor Leads not terminated correctly and not properly sealed against water entry. Spliced joints not "watertight".

2. Insulation damage to Drop Cables or Motor leads which allows water access. Great care must be taken to protect the cables and prevent damage during installation of the motor and pump.

Effect and Results of Water in Leads.

On a correct installation the motor frame is earthed. Water is a good conductor of electricity. As soon as a circuit is established between the water in the bore and the power supply cables, current will flow through this fault causing unbalanced currents in excess of normal Full Load Current (FLC). If the motor is not disconnected from the supply immediately catastrophic damage will be caused to the windings due to overheating because of high currents. The magnitude of the current flows will depend on the level of insulation to earth. Sometimes these faults are not solid connections to the water or to earth, i.e. there is still a high insulation level to earth, which restricts the current flow to earth. In this case the Earth leakage and/or overload protection may not trip immediately and the motor windings still overheat due to the unbalanced currents.

Performance of Submersible Motor Engineering when used with VVVF Drives.

Submersible Motor Engineering motors have been extensively tested and used with modern GTO and IGBT VVVF Drives, however, care must be taken to ensure reliable and satisfactory operation.  Please pay attention to the following guidelines.    
 

Operation at reduced speed can cause overheating.   Operation with a long Run Up time can cause problems in the Down Thrust bearing, due to insufficient lubrication between the Pivot Shoes and the Carbon Thrust Bearing Disc.   Other operating requirements still apply as specified in Submersible Motor Engineering Installation and Maintenance Procedures.  

Overheating in Submersible Motors.

The most common cause of failure in a Submersible Electric Motor is Overheating, as this causes the insulation materials in the motor to deteriorate until failure occurs. Sometimes the overheating can introduce other problems in the motor, before it fails, which accelerates the process.  

The most common causes of overheating are Overloading and High ambient water temperature. Also:

Low flow rate of external cooling water.

Very high flow rate of external cooling water.

Low Supply Voltage.

High Supply Voltage.

Incorrect Installation Procedures.

Voltage and Current Unbalance.

Voltage surges and Spikes.

Single Phasing.

Phases Reversed.

Build up of organic or mineral material on the outside of the motor.

Rapid cycling - switching the motor on and off frequently and quickly.

Incorrect Ramp Up time when using a Soft Starter ¨C Maximum 4 seconds is allowed. DU has a separate bulletin covering the use of submersible motors with VVVF Drives and Soft Starters.

The Effects of Overheating on different parts of the motor are as follows:  

Internal Cooling Fluid. The fluid will boil which will create steam inside the motor at high pressure. The steam will force it's way out of the motor, past the lip seals on the DE, or the Mechanical seal on the DE, or it can rupture the rubber bellows on the NDE. Steam will not transfer the heat from the internal components such as the stator windings or the rotor.      

Stator Windings. Without efficient heat transfer in the cooling fluid the insulation will breakdown and short circuits and or earth faults will occur. If the fault is violent other parts of the motor can be damaged such as the lamination stack.  

Bearings. The carbon sleeve bearings and thrust bearing will fail very rapidly without efficient fluid lubrication. Usually this occurs first in the upper sleeve bearing and leads to binding, rapid wear, and misalignment for the pump and the rotor.  

Rotor. If the sleeve bearings wear sufficiently this can allow the rotor to rub against the stator, which is called ¡°poling¡±. This will cause localized high temperatures, and mechanical problems, that will quickly lead to catastrophic failure of the motor. It is quite common for some of the stator teeth to be dragged into the stator slot and cut through the wires in the stator winding, creating an earth fault.        

Bellows or seals may deteriorate and rupture allowing the external fluids and foreign matter to enter the motor. The foreign matter can be abrasive, which will encourage wear if the motor continues to run.        

Casings and Housings. In extreme situations it may be possible for the casing of the motor or the end brackets to warp and cause misalignment.      

If the motor is subject to electrolysis, or bacteria build up, this can accelerate due to higher temperatures, which in turn will cause even higher temperatures.      

Possible Reasons for Overheating include:

Overloading  

 Overloading is usually caused by:  

 Excessive hydraulic load.

 An oversized, or wrongly sized, pump fitted to the motor.

 Misalignment.

 Binding.

 Failure of a component in the motor or the pump,

 Foreign bodies, or solids, in the water being pumped.

Over frequency. Motors must be correctly selected to match the pump and the duty required.

If a motor is powered from a Generator Set, rather than the mains of a power utility it is possible that the supply frequency is higher than motor/pump  design frequency. The characteristics of normal pumps are very sensitive to speed. Increased speed due to increased frequency will almost certainly raise the duty point of the pump and this can cause the motor to be overloaded. Overloading of a motor will almost certainly cause overheating, however, overheating will not necessarily cause overloading.  

High Ambient Water Temperature

Submersible Motor Engineering specify the maximum ambient water temperature, the minimum cooling water flow in m/sec, and the maximum full load output power for the motor. All of these conditions can vary in practice and this will affect the ability of the motor to dissipate the internal heat that is generated by the motor in operation. If the motor overheats because the maximum ambient cooling water temperature is exceeded the life of the motor will be reduced.  

Low/High External Cooling Water Flow  

The motor relies on the efficient transfer of heat from the external surface of the motor to the water flowing past the motor. If the flow is too slow the external water will heat up and create a similar condition to having a high ambient water temperature. Low flows are usually caused by:  

Low Pump flow rate.

Incorrect application or design.

Plugged or blocked suction inlet.

Loss of suction.

Closed or blocked discharge.

Low pump speed.

Loose impeller or impellers.

Water flow into the pump from above the motor.

Motor installed below the well screen.

Pump suction inlet set at the same level as the well screen.

Large gap between the motor and the well liner.

Obstruction around the motor.

Motor buried in sand or silt.

Motor/Pump installed without a shroud in a tank or pit.

Motor/Pump installed in water with a very high concentration of Oxygen.   If the external cooling water is flowing too fast it may form a recirculating or turbulent layer along the surface of the motor. This layer may prevent the external surface of the motor from being able to dissipate the heat fast enough to cool the motor. High velocity flow conditions also cause a decrease in pressure which may cause dissolved minerals to precipitate out of the water forming a mineral plating on the surface of the motor which will also act as a form of thermal insulation and reduce the cooling capacity even further.

In some wells bacteria will grow on the external surface of the motor ¨C in extreme cases this can be a much as 10mm in 3 months. This bacteria growth also acts as thermal insulation and as it grows out towards the well liner it will force the external water flow rates to increase as the gap between the well liner and the bacteria surface on the motor reduces eventually causing excessive flow rates.  

 Low/High Voltages  

Low voltages will lead to increased currents, as voltage and current are generally proportional if saturation effects are neglected. Increased currents will lead to increased heating in the stator winding. Low voltages will also lead to lower full load speed and increased slip. The pump will have a reduced performance leading to reduced water flow past the motor and possibly reduced cooling capacity. High voltages will lead to a reduced stator current, until the voltage is sufficiently high that the lamination iron starts to saturate, at which point the current will start in increase leading to increased temperature rise. High voltages will also cause the motor to have increased starting torque and increased starting current, which will probably lead to higher temperatures during starting.  

 Incorrect Installation Procedures

The pump and motor must be assembled correctly. Any Misalignment or Binding can cause overloading of the motor. Misalignment occurs when components are not machined correctly or not assembled correctly. All the components in the motor and the pump must be concentric within the tolerances specified by the manufacturer. Special attention must be paid to component fits, the balance and vibration of rotating components, clean assembly conditions with no foreign objects or matter in the assembly, Binding is usually caused because there is insufficient room for axial or radial movement in the pump or because the shaft coupling is not fitted correctly. The coupling should not be pinned or fixed with a grub screw to the motor shaft ¨C it should be free to slide on the shaft to allow for thermal expansion of the motor shaft.
All water filled motors must be correctly filled prior to installation as the motor relies on this water to remove the heat generated in the water. If a motor is not properly filled there is a strong possibility the motor will overheat. Great care must be taken during installation to ensure that whole motor/pump assembly is not damaged. Special care must be taken when lifting the motor/pump to the vertical position prior to lowering down the hole. Make sure the shaft is not subjected to excessive bending forces, which can bend the shaft.

 Voltage and Current Unbalance  

This is probably the single most common cause of motor failure. Generally this is caused by voltage imbalance, leading to current unbalance. Unbalanced currents will definitely lead to increased temperature rise in the stator winding. If the motor is fully loaded ¨C not de-rated ¨C it will almost certainly lead to stator windings exceeding safe temperature limits. DU motors require that the Voltage balance must be within 3%.

Voltage Unbalance can be calculated using the following formula:

Voltage Unbalance % = 100 x Max. Voltage variation from Average / Average Voltage

DU has a separate bulletin especially covering Voltage and Current Unbalance.

 Voltage Surges and Spikes

A High Voltage Surge is when the supply voltage increases substantially for a period of milliseconds or seconds. A spike occurs when there is a very high voltage transient for nanoseconds or milliseconds. A surge is quite likely to occur when a generator supplying a motor runs out of fuel. When the fuel mix becomes very lean the engine speeds up and the output voltage from the generator increases. Spikes are usually caused by the switching of electrical equipment on the supply system ¨C not necessarily the actual contactors or circuit breakers operating the motor. Very large surges or spikes can be caused by indirect lightning strikes on the supply system.
This is a complex subject, however, in general, small voltage increase/short duration surges will tend to stress the windings causing gradual deterioration over a period of time, and eventually catastrophic failure of the windings. Large voltage increase/long duration surges will severely stress the winding and connection points ¨C the weakest point in the winding or connections will fail usually causing a short circuit which can have enough energy to blow a hole in the lamination pack or even through the stator casing. Small spikes will stress and degrade the windings and connection, while a large spike will almost certainly lead to immediate catastrophic failure.  

Single Phasing  

Single phasing occurs when 1 phase of a 3-phase supply is lost, i.e. there is no voltage on one phase. In a Delta connected motor current will continue to flow in all 3 phases of the winding, but extremely high currents will flow in the phase connected directly between the 2 remaining voltage connections ¨C this phase will overheat and fail very quickly if the motor is not shut down very quickly. In a Star connected motor current will continue to flow in the 2 phases connected between the 2 remaining voltage connections ¨C these 2 phases will overheat and fail is this condition is not detected very quickly and the motor disconnected from the supply.  If the motor is not operating and is switched on to a Single Phasing supply it will almost certainly not start and will draw high starting current as described about until it is disconnected. If the motor is already running and 1 phase drops out for whatever reason the motor will probably continue to run at reduced speed while drawing heavy current.

Phase Reversal

Phase reversal will result in the motor running in the wrong direction and in general the pump will operate very inefficiently, probably not drawing enough water past the motor to cool it properly.

Build up or organic or mineral material on the outside of the motor

Organic deposits are usually caused by iron bacteria. These bacteria produce a layer, or crust, of iron and/or magnesium compounds on the outside of the motor. These encrustations act as a thermal barrier and contain the heat within the motor. The presence of iron bacteria is usually a pre-existing condition. Mineral deposits will cause the same type of thermal barrier as organic deposits. Chemical reactions precipitate the minerals present in the water and deposit them on the external surface of the motor. The most common mineral deposits are carbonates, iron, manganese, and silicates.

 Rapid Cycling

Rapid cycling causes the motor to overheat, as it does not get sufficient time to cool down from the previous start/run. When a motor is started it draws 4 to 6 times the normal full load current. This increased current creates high temperatures in the stator and rotor windings. This is especially a problem if the motor is already hot because it has been operating at its nominal full load temperature. Several starts in quick succession will almost certainly cause the motor to overheat which will cause a degradation of the stator winding insulation and other internal components. Eventually the deteriorated conditions inside the motor will cause it to fail.

DU recommends that motors be allowed to cool for 15 minutes before being restarted. In some circumstances motors may require even longer to cool down, especially if the ambient water temperature is high. DU also recommend that a motor is allowed to run for about 1 minute after start up to allow the heat generated during the starting cycle to partially dissipate. The whole installation should be designed to keep the number of starts required by the motor to a minimum, which will increase the life of the motor.

Summary  

 Motor overheating is usually a symptom of other problems. Failure to investigate and determine the true reason for the overheating will lead to motor failures, extended down times, repeated repairs, and higher maintenance costs.

Thrust Bearings

Thrust Bearings in SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING Submersible Motors.

All SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING submersible motors are fitted with Kingsbury type Hydrodynamic Self Adjusting Tilting Shoe Thrust Bearings to take the axial "down thrust" from the pump. These are a complex and clever part of a reliable submersible motor and probably not understood very well.

These thrust bearings will take a surprisingly heavy axial "down thrust" load and provided that they have been installed correctly, rated correctly, and looked after properly, they will provide may years of trouble free operation.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING motors also have an "up thrust" bearing to take thrusts - usually these occur at start up while the discharge pipe work is filling. The "up thrust" can be significant if pipe work is long between the pump and the surface and the Non Return Valve (NRV) has been drilled to allow the column to drain. While the column is filling there is a large momentum force upwards, and the head, acting down, is low, and the pump is quite likely to be operating beyond its Best Efficiency Point (BEP). The "up thrust" tends to be heavier with closed type impellers. On some pumps the thrust will reverse just after the BEP.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING recommend that pumps should be operated according to the pump manufacturer's recommendations. Pumps should have a means of accommodating temporary "up thrust" and the splined couplings between the pump and the motor should not be grub screwed.

The "up thrust" bearing in the motor is a fairly simple device, which consists of a resin/cloth fibre ring, which rubs against the underside of the Stainless steel Thrust Bearing Support plate. These bearings are not continuously rated and only take light loads.

Principle:     The Hydrodynamic thrust bearing transmits the rotating shaft's axial thrust load to the frame of the motor, which is mechanically supported in the well.

The axial thrust load is transmitted through the bearing on a self-renewing film of lubricant, which is water in most SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING motors. The pressure in the fluid film supports the load without the thrust disc or pivot shoes making contact.    

Theory:     Due to viscosity, fluids tend to stick to surfaces, and in the case of Kingsbury type thrust bearings, they rely on the fluid sticking to the surface of the rotating thrust disc. The fluid is dragged circumferentially as well as being thrown outwards by the rotating disc. At the leading edge of the pivot shoes, a continuous fluid wedge will form. When the right conditions exist the wedge will produce sufficient lift to create a physical separation between the thrust bearing disc and the face of the pivot shoe. At this point a true fluid film (TFF) is said to exist.

TFF is essential for the successful operation of the thrust bearing. When the bearing is operating correctly there is no contact at all between the disc face and the face of the pivot shoes. The only time there is contact is when the motor is stopping or starting. This brief contact period means there should be only negligible wear between the faces - and no wear while the motor is operating.

The adjacent sketch shows how the pivot shoe tilts over and allows the fluid to be forced between the carbon thrust disc and the face of the pivot shoe by a combination of rotational drag and centrifugal force. The pivot point should be spherical which allows the shoes to rotate or pivot so that the fluid can form a wedge. The shoes need to be loosely constrained while still free to pivot.

The carbon thrust bearing drags the fluid around in a circular direction, but this fluid also experiences a centrifugal force, which is pulling the fluid towards the circumference of the bearing. The combination of these 2 forces means that the fluid is circulating and going outwards at the same time and it has been found that the peak pressure point is somewhere beyond the centre in the direction of rotation. Quite often this is assumed to be on the face of the pivot shoe approximately 75% across the face of the pivot shoe and 75% out towards the circumference. This is known as the 75/75 Rule in Thrust Bearing design and is where the bearing has peak loading, minimum film thickness, and high temperatures. If the thrust bearing only operates in one direction it is common to offset the pivot point so it is nearer to the 75/75 point.

From the Pressure Distribution Curve it can be seen that peak load is not on the centre line of the pivot shoe, but offset in the direction of rotation.

Issues that need to be considered during the design of a hydrodynamic thrust bearing are maximum total loads, load per mm2 on the bearing surface, number of shoes, thrust disc surface speed, fluid viscosity, and maximum allowable fluid temperature. Hydrodynamic thrust bearings commonly have 6 or 8 pivot shoes because of the difficulty of ensuring that all the shoes share the load evenly. More shoes increase the likelihood of uneven loading because of variations in dimensions due to mechanical tolerances.

The thrust-bearing disc transmits the axial thrust load from the rotating shaft (rotor) through the fluid film to the stationary pivot shoes. A typical film thickness under rated thrust load can be 0.03 mm for a high performance thrust bearing.  

 Other Issues:    

Cleanliness. It is very important that the inside of the motor is very clean with no loose material that could circulate in the water. All the Thrust Bearing components should be ultrasonically cleaned prior to assembly as any lapping paste that is not removed from the pivot shoes or the carbon disc will tend to circulate in the fluid. (Pivot shoes should also be demagnetised after grinding and lapping to ensure they do not attract any magnetic particles that might be present. Any foreign material, larger than the film thickness, that passes through the thrust bearing can damage the surface of the carbon surface of the thrust disc and can get imbedded in the surface of the carbon. (It is unlikely to scratch the face of the pivot shoes as these are specially hardened). Any water that is used to top up inside the motor should also be clean, but most tap water is fine.

Surface Finish and Tolerances. It is essential that the surface of the carbon thrust-bearing disc be machined flat and exactly perpendicular to the shaft with negligible run out on the face. The surface must be lapped to give a very smooth flat finish. The surface of the face of the pivot shoes is also ground and lapped to give a very smooth flat finish, and in addition the height of each pivot shoe in a set must be identical and the base of the pivot leg must be spherical so that the pivot shoes are free to pivot and share the load equally. Due to mechanical tolerances there will always be some variations in dimensions, but in general they should be tightly controlled. The design of the SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING thrust bearing allows the whole thrust bearing assembly to swivel on the thrust button, which also allows the pivot shoes to share the load more evenly.

Speed of Rotation. It is important that thrust bearings are not operated at low speeds, or speeds well below their design operating speed. At the low speeds there will not be enough rotational speed to force the fluid through between the pivot shoe faces and the thrust disc, so the faces will be in contact as the motor rotates and this will lead to wear and heat generation due to friction. This can be a problem when using VVVF drives or soft starters and we recommend a maximum run up time of 4 seconds. It can also be a problem when the motor is switched off as the water in the column could flow back down through the pump in the reverse direction and cause the pump to rotate which will cause the bearing to rotate at a low speed. In most installations a check valve is fitted just above the pump, which will prevent this from happening, even though it is quite common for a small drain hole to be drilled in the check valve to allow the column to drain slowly after the motor/pump is switched off.

Temperature. The temperature of the fluid inside the motor can have a big influence on the performance of the bearing because the viscosity of the fluid will change with temperature and if the water temperature gets close to boiling point the water will loose all it’s viscosity and the bearing will fail. Because the TFF will not be maintained, sliding contact between surfaces will occur and wear will increase.

Lubrication and Film Thickness. For the bearing to operate properly the lubricating fluid must always be present between the carbon thrust disc and the faces of the pivot shoes. This fluid heats up as it passes through between the 2 faces of the bearing and needs to be cooled and recirculated before it passes through the bearing again. The fluid entering the bearing should always be reasonably cool before it enters between the bearing faces so it can cool the bearing as it passes through.

Shock Loading. This can occur when a pump starts to cavitate. These bearings will tolerate some shock loading, provided the peak shock load does not exceed the maximum load the bearing can take. If the maximum load is exceeded the carbon will make contact with the pivot shoes and high wear and high temperatures will result. In extreme cases the carbon will be pounded onto the pivot shoes and will then disintegrate.

Load distribution to the pads/pivot shoes. It is essential to ensure that the height of each pivot shoe is exactly the same so that each pivot shoe shares the load evenly. If one shoe is shorter than the other shoes then it will have a bigger gap between the face and the carbon and will not carry as much load as the other shoes. Likewise if one shoe is higher than the other shoes it will tend to carry a much higher load than the other shoes. (Please note that even if the load is not exactly evenly distributed across all the shoes in the thrust bearing it will still work, because all SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING bearings are very conservatively rated).

Pressure Distribution in the film I Flow Requirements across the bearing. As the thrust load increases the pressure in the gap between the pivot shoes and the carbon will reduce. Any small scratches or indentations in the surface of the pivot shoes or the carbon will reduce the load carrying capacity, as some of the pressure in the fluid will be dissipated into these “voids”. It is essential that fluid inside the motor is free to circulate through the bearing and mix with the fluid around the bearing to dissipate the heat generated in the bearing.

Power Losses. As the thrust load increases on the bearing the power loading on the motor will increase. There is a direct linear relationship between the power consumed in the bearing and the thrust load. Typically for a 6 shoe 8” SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING thrust bearing with 3000 Kg of “down thrust” the extra power required from the motor is 900 watts. This power is dissipated in heating the fluid and bearing surfaces.

Testing Thrust Bearings:  

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING have recently commissioned a new Thrust Bearing Test rig, which will allow us to test different bearing designs and different materials, especially for the thrust disc. We recently tested a standard 6 shoe 6” bearing for 120 hours at 2500 kg and found no measurable wear on the face of the thrust disc or on the face of the pivot shoes. The load was increased in steps until the bearing failed at 4620 kg load. We rate this bearing at 2270 kg in a standard 6” motor.

Overload Settings and Temperature Protection

At SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING we are committed to assisting our clientele to improve their level of expertise and understanding of the protection for submersible motors.

It seems to us that most electricians set the current overload protection about 5% above the nameplate full load current, regardless of the current the motor is actually drawing when it is operating, which will not protect the motor if it is only loaded to 70% of the nameplate current.

After the first few days of operation, submersible pumps and motors, tend to settle down and draw the same current for days, months, years - until something changes. Sometimes the load will fluctuate a little with irrigation applications, or supply voltage variations, etc., but generally the current will not vary.

In our opinion to protect the motor and pump the owner/operator needs to know when something changes so they can investigate that change. Quite often the reason for the change can be found on the surface and fixed very easily. A recent example we know about was a diesel generator that had sped up and was generating at 55Hz instead of 50Hz.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING recently supplied a 300Hp 4P 14” motor with a nameplate current of 431 amps and the actual duty point current was 320 amps. The site electrician decided to set the current overloads to trip the motor at about 430 amps, which they did, after there had been a catastrophic failure. The motor only ran for 20 hours, and the pump and motor were then out of action for 4 weeks while everyone involved argued about what had happened and then agreed to get the motor fixed, which involved rewinding and rebuilding. We are certain that if the overloads had been set to 330 amps they would have tripped and alerted the owner that there was a problem. There is a reasonable chance that the reason for the trip could have been identified and fixed. Failing that, the motor could have been operated and monitored very closely. If the current had kept rising it would have indicated that something was seriously wrong and the motor and pump could have been pulled before there was a catastrophic failure. This would have reduced the down time that the pump was out of service, and reduced the costs to everyone involved.

This motor was also fitted with 4 x PT100 temperature detectors which were not connected and therefore not protecting the motor.

All SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING motors are supplied with 1 PT100 in the DE Windings as standard and all motors of 100Hp or more are fitted with 4 PT100s as standard and customers are free to order additional PT100s in smaller motors, if they want.

At SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING we confidently believe that a combination of “Quick Trip” current overloads and PT100 temperature monitoring will give end users a lot of comfort that their motors are operating properly, and if something does change, alert the end user that there is a problem before it is catastrophic.

There are 2 recent examples that we are aware of, where temperature monitoring has more than paid for the additional cost of installation.
 

A 60Hp 8” High Temperature oil filled motor was supplied to the Water Corporation of WA for a bore that has a big problem with Iron Bacteria growth. Typically the growth is about 10mm thick after 3 months of operation and most standard motors have to be pulled up and cleaned every 3 months to prevent them over heating.

The new SUBMERSIBLE MOTOR ENGINEERING motor has 4 PT100s fitted and monitored and the Water Corporation can monitor the temperature in the motor, which has settled down at about 76 Deg.C. The motor has been operating for about 9 months and there is no plan to pull it up until a problem develops. In theory the winding temperature can be allowed to increase to 120 Deg.C. before we would consider that it is too hot. (The oil in this motor has been specially approved by the West Australian Health Department as safe to use in drinking water).   A 250Hp 4 Pole 14” motor on an offshore oil platform, was fitted with 4 PT100s, which were all being monitored continuously. This motor was subjected to very high thrust loading, possibly as high as 7000 Kgs. Due to a misunderstanding during testing each of the valves in the system were closed one at a time while the motor was still running. Luckily the Thrust Bearing PT100 detected a rapid increase in temperature from 46 Deg.C. to 95 Deg.C. and shut the motor down before there was any catastrophic damage. It was decided to check the condition of the thrust bearing after this episode and it was found to be damaged and was replaced. In summary we urge all our customers to try to ensure that the current overload protection is set just above the steady state current during operation, and to install PT100 monitoring equipment, which we can supply, and advise on at a very attractive cost.

SUBSEA/ROV MOTORS:

Silvercrest/SME build and repair ROV submersible motors for all subsea applications. We design, manufacture, and supply, submersible electric motors for all SUBSEA and ROV, SUBSEA equipment, also for any special purpose submersible electric motor requirements.

Silvercrest/SME offer SUBSEA electric generators for Tidal Power Generation.

We repair and rewind large high voltage (500kW, 6600V) submersible electric motors.

High Temperature Submersibles in 6-inch to 20inch frames suitable for operation in ambient temperatures of 75 Deg. C.

Supply High Voltage water filled submersible motors (3300V, 4160V and 6600V)

Supply Upgraded Temperature Monitoring units, with new improved user-friendly parameter settings.

Manufacture Subsea and ROV motors suitable for depths of 4000M.

Manufacture Subsea Electric Generators for Tidal Generation.

Induction Generators or slow speed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators unto 500kW.

SUBMERSIBLE MOTORS and PUMPS.

We offer a wide range of electric submersible motors with matched hydraulic and water pumps.

We have our own submersible motors that are drop-in replacements for most of the popular models in use today. 

We can supply ROV HPU submersible motors from 30kW to 250kW, trenching HPU submersible motors from 100kW to 500kW, trenching jetting pumps, plough HPU submersible motors, plough jetting pump sets, turbine and centrifugal water pumps, and hydraulic pumps (Rexroth A7 and A10 series, Sauer 90 series and Kawasaki KV3 series).

   
We offer AC thrusters as direct replacements to existing DC thrusters from 1kW to 50kW in size.

Silvercrest/SME design and build specialized Submersible ROV motors for use SUBSEA in the offshore industry. These motors are usually made to order and vary from 1kW to 600kW, from 400 to 6600 Volts, 50 or 60 Hz, 2 Pole, 4 Pole, 6 Pole and 8 Pole.

We can repair, rewind, rebuild, and redesign any ROV submersible electric motor.

Silvercrest/SME design and manufacture specialized motors for use on SUBSEA equipment used in the offshore industry.

There are two common methods of construction - stainless steel construction or Marine Grade aluminium that is Black anodized to resist corrosion. We can also offer motors manufactured from Duplex and Super Duplex stainless steel.

Our subsea motors are usually oil filled and pressure compensated. The common operating voltages are 400 volts, 3300 volts, 4160 volts and 6600 volts (even for small 5kW motors).

Our motors operate at depths down to 4000 metres, or deeper by special request.

Silvercrest/SME manufacture complete submersible electric motors, motor-pump sets, and ROV HPU.

We offer submersible motor rewinding / rebuilding  /electrical conversion / and original construction modification.

SME can repair and completely rebuild most submersible electric motors (for example: Alstra, Aturia, Bamsa, B. J., Elmaksan, Exodyne/EEMI, G.E., Hayward Tyler, Hitachi, Mercury, Oddesse, Pleuger, Saer, S.M.E., Subteck, Sumo, Sun Star, U.S.).

Company Profile.

Silvercrest/SME manufactures new Submersible and ROV Motors. SME also services and repairs all brands of Submersible and ROV Motors. Including Hitachi, Pleuger, Grundfos, Mercury, Byron Jackson, Haywood Tyler, and Franklin. Our business is to manufacture, supply and service Submersible Electric Motors, Subsea and ROV motors. With a compliment of 30 service orientated staff members, we have the ability to service and technically support all makes and models of Submersible Electric Motors at our Maddington, Perth facility. Our sales department, with a total of 75 years experience in the Submersible and Electric motor business, are happy to assist with any enquiries on the purchase of Submersible Motors, HPU, and motor-pump sets, ranging from 3.7kw to 1500kw, in various voltages and frequencies. 

In our 1200 ft facility, purpose built for manufacture and service of Submersible Electric Motors we offer the following in-house services:

Full Machine Shop capacity.

Voltage Testing through 10,000 volts.

ISO9001 quality assured workshop.

An Overhead crane through 10 ton capacity.

A state of the art Water Pressure Test facility with full international certification.

High POT and Surge Testing.

Full Load / Dyno testing to 250kw of all types of Electric Motors with detailed test reports.

Balancing Facility available, to 250 kg.

SME are a fully integrated manufacturing facility and in addition to our Standard range of submersible motors we also offer the following:

Special Motors for specialist applications.

4 Pole, 6 Pole and 8 Pole motors.

All Stainless Steel or more exotic material construction. 

Special Thrust ratings.

Special Lead manufacturing. 

NEMA and other couplings in a variety of materials.

Replacement parts of obsolete products. 

Technical assistance during Commissioning.

Trouble Shooting.

Repairs to all makes (Oil and Water filled).

Rewinds of all Voltages (200 volt to 6.6kv) with 1 Year Warranty on all rewinds.

Dynamic testing.

Non-Destructive testing.

Welding and Machining.

On site or Factory Based Cable Splicing.

Retro Fitting of Condition Monitoring Equipment.

Modification of existing motors to upgrade them higher specifications.

Refurbishment of ROV motors using more technically advanced materials.

Subsea Electric Generators. 

Subsea Generators can be air filled for optimum efficiency and are suitable for depths down to 30 metres.  

Induction Generators can be supplied for 2P, 4P, 6P, 8P, and 10P operation, usually close coupled to a gearbox. (The efficiency and PF are poor for Induction Generators with more than 10 Poles).  

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators can be supplied with very low speeds and 40 poles or 60 poles for nominal 20 RPM operation, which negates the need for a gearbox. These generators can have high efficiency up to 95% and they have unity Power Factor. Because of the number of poles these generators tend to be quite large in Diameter - typically more than 1 metre.  

If Subsea Generators are to be used at depths below 30 metres it is recommended that they are oil filled and compensated - but the mechanical losses will be about 3% due to the extra friction from the oil.

DYNAMOMETER LOAD TESTING.

SME type test their motors with a new 300kW water-cooled eddy current dynamometer with full computer control for accurate load testing.

The submersible motors have to be mounted in a tank for external water-cooling during the testing.

Instrumentation measurements are accurate to within 0.5%. The electrical inputs are measured with a Yokogawa 3 Phase Wattmeter. The measured results are stored on a computer, which is linked to the Yokogawa, and performance results can be calculated using the Summation of Losses Method, or the new IEC Input/Output Method. Results can also be calculated to NEMA Input/Output Standards. SME use a diesel generator to generate the electrical supply for the motor tests and can easily test at 50Hz or 60Hz frequencies.

There is a new 500KVA Voltage Regulator to vary and control the output voltage from 0 to 600 Volts, We can also test at 2300, 2850, 3300, and 4160 Volts.

This facility allows SME to supply accurate full Performance Test Reports on specific motors, rather than generalized Routine or Type Test reports.
   

Silvercrest Submarines.

Tel: England (+44) 1285.760620

E-mail: sales@SilvercrestSubmarines.co.uk

www.SilvercrestSubmarines.co.uk

www.Submarines-Rovs.com