Memories. Ahhh Yes, Memories of My Life

Living On A Submarine

Living On A Submarine

         Have you ever wondered what it's like being on a Submarine for an extended period of time? You haven't? Don't worry, most people haven't, it's okay. But tonight I thought I'd share a few things about Submarine life.

         First, I know I've written about life on a submarine 'in general'. The drills, qualifications, lack of sleep, etc. This entry will be a little different. A Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) Submarine leaves port to start its Patrol. A patrol last about 60 days (my longest was 73), and is full of challenges. It submerges as soon as it can, and usually doesn't surface until the patrol is completed. But think about a few things. How does the crew survive all that time? I mean, how does their air stay fresh and breathable? How does the crew get fresh water or oxygen? Just by breathing, Carbon Dioxide ( CO₂) is created, and Carbon Monoxide (CO) is created by those who smoke, and other processes. And what happens to all the waste (Trash, human waste, etc.) So I'll write about that tonight.

         First, there is a space (compartment) on the boat called various names, depending on the class of submarine. I'll call it Air Regen, short for the Air Regeneration Room. In that small space, we created our own Oxygen and stored it in Oxygen banks that were in the Ballast Tanks. (The Ballast Tanks are what allow a submarine to either Submerge, or Surface). We would take Purified Water and separate it by Electrolysis into Hydrogen and Oxygen. Of course we'd store the Oxygen in those Oxygen Banks. Hydrogen though, is an explosive gas, so we had to dispose of it. Near that Oxygen Generator was a piece of machinery known as a CO-H₂ Burner, we just called it the Burner. It contained a Catalyst bed that would turn the Carbon Monoxide into CO₂. It operated at a temperature of about 700 degrees Fahrenheit. The Hydrogen was separated from the CO₂ and pumped overboard. More on the CO₂ in a minute. So, we'd generated and stored Oxygen for us, and processed the Carbon Monoxide into Carbon Dioxide.

         Now about that CO₂. Near that 'Burner' is a machine called a CO₂ Scrubber, which we of course just called a 'Scrubber'. It used a liquid chemical called Monoethanolamine, or Amine. Amine has a curious property in that it absorbs CO₂ when hot, and when cooled, it releases it. Heated Amine is sort of sprayed in a cylinder that has air containing CO₂ flowing through it. The heated Amine absorbs the CO₂ This is then pumped to a reservoir where it is cooled, releasing its loads of CO₂. The CO₂ is briefly stored before being pumped overboard. Now we've gotten rid of CO, CO₂, and Hydrogen. But what about trash and human waste?

         First, how to get rid of trash. The boat had a vertical tube that essentially was a chute. We emptied it by pumping the water out, then opened the top cover. The crew had taken their garbage and put it into special mesh bags which were then loaded into cans. The cans were sheet metal that had been rolled that night into those cans. Several ten pound weights were added to ensure the cans didn't float (trapped air might cause that). Once the tube was full of cans, the cover was closed, and the tube flooded. Then the bottom valve was opened, and the cans would fall out and end up on the bottom of the ocean. This was repeated until all the trash was disposed of. A hot, messy job that everyone hated. Thankfully, being a Nuclear Trained Petty Officer, I never had to do that.

         About that human waste. Our toilets (and sinks) in the 'head' (bathroom/restroom) drained to a large tank. But those tanks filled up after a day or so, and needed to be emptied. We didn't pump the contents overboard, that would have made too much noise. So we would ensure every vent valve was closed, hang signs to warn the crew that Sanitary Tanks were being blown, and blow the contents overboard. The thing is though, the tanks couldn't be blown until they were empty. That would make too much noise also. So we'd stop blowing before they were completely empty. Now we have a pressurized tank that smells to high-heaven, and needs to be vented. They were vented inboard through charcoal filters. Still, the 'head' and the surrounding area smelled horribly for a while. But by doing all this, we had a space we could live (or survive) in, with somewhat 'fresh' air.

         The length of time a submarine can remain at sea is dependent on two things really. Crew endurance, and the amount of food that could be stored on board, about 60 days as I've said. And there you have it, how the crew managed to keep the air fresh and 'clean' (if it was so clean, why did I buy new clothes after every patrol?), and trash/waste disposed of.


         That's all for now. Aren't you glad? Till next time, y'all be good, take care of yourselves, and love those who love you. And of course, keep on writing!