School of the Boat (21 October2008) Leaks in the After Torpedo Room

[JTheotonio]

While you are finishing the last question here is another one to start with.

There is a leak at the after torpedo room torpedo tube drain manifold, which is causing minor flooding in the bilges.  OOD orders that until repairs can be made, a watch will be placed at the bilges and that the bilges be pumped as needed to prevent flooding.  The after torpedo room bilge stop valve is open.  The after drain line stop valve is open.  The drain manifold is positioned to pump the bilge into the expansion tank through the compensating water main to prevent any oil slick on the surface (if the bilges were pumped overboard it may leave an oil slick).  When the drain pump is started the motor fails.  TM3 “Bullets” reports that the water is rising pretty fast and needs to be pumped fast.

How can you pump out the after torpedo room bilges without the drain pump in service?

[emeacho]

For starters, close the drain pump suction valve (from the drain header). 

Next, be sure the drain stop aft is open (Control Room).

Open Trim and Drain Cross Connect (Control Room).

Suction from Negative Tank, Safety Tank, Aux 1 & Aux 2 valve at Trim Manifold, Suction fron Aft Trim, Suction from Forward Trim, and Suction from Sea should be closed.

Open Trim Pump suction valve at Trim Manifold.

Open Trim Pump Discharge Valve at Trim Manifold.  (Make sure the actual trim pump discharge valve is open.

Discharge to Negative Tank, Safety Tank, Aux 1 & Aux 2 valve at Trim Manifold, Discharge to Sea, Discharge to Fwd TRim should be closed.

Open Discharge to Aft Trim valve at Trim Manifold.

Open Drain Pump Discharge to Trim Header

Open Drain Pump Discharge to Compensating System.

Line up and start trim priming pump.  When the priming pump gauge reads about 20 inches vacuum secure priming pump.

Start trim pump and pump bilges to Expansion tank.

[Darrin]

So how do you get the water out of the boat IF both the Trim and the Drain pumps are inop???

REMEMBER FOLKS THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX ON THIS ONE

[JTheotonio]

  Buckets?    or one BIG sponge? 

Also another Well Done for "E"  The short version is you can use the Trim system via a cross connection if the drain pump is inop.

[Lance Dean]

Blow the water out of the torpedo tubes?

[Darrin]

To get the outer doors open on the tubes the pressure inside of tubes has to equal to the outside pressure which means that the tubes have to be completely flooded and then equalized with outside sea pressure and then you have to drain the tubes inboard to be able to open them back up so won't that add more water to your flooding problem??

[JTheotonio]

I'm not unloading a tube just so you can fill it with water.  Those 6 tubes are why we drive around with the pointy-end going forward 

[emeacho]

How about use a submersible pump to move the water to the sanitary tank (san 3) and then blow it overboard.

[Darrin]

Very good Chief Mike,
now when you have shorted out the electrical system in the Aft Torpedo Room then what has to happen to get the damned water out of the people tank??  And who is slowing down the water coming inboard if your TM's for some reason are incapcitated because they got electricuted trying to hook up the submersible pump to pump the water out??

[Darrin]

Form a bucket brigade after the ET's have secured power to the affected torpedo room and then dump the buckets in the after head and blow san's when the tank is full while the forward TM's fix the leak

[JTheotonio]

Where did you get enough buckets to form a bucket brigade?  I don't remember us carry a lot of buckets. Unless you have the watertight door shut, why not plug the portable submersible pump using an extension cord into an outlet in maneuvering?

Did this event take place on the surface or submerged? If submerged we got a problem.  The leak, if sea water, will be much worse because of pressure. 

So - here we go.  We are at 150 feet, outter door is stuck open on #9 tube, drain valve is stuck part way open.  Water is pouring in, trim and drain system inoperable. TM is out cold because of electrical shock.  Electrical in after torpedo room is out.  How do you stop or slow down the flooding?

Remember the enemy was spotted so the Captain does not want to surface unless there is no choice since all of this occurred because of depth charges.  And to boot another minor problem has occurred.  The bow planes pump motor failed.  How do you rig the bow planes for manual operation?

If you think this is too much at once, think again.  Submarines took a pretty bad beating when depth charged.  Any number of things could happen.

[emeacho]

Well, to slow or stop water from entering the torpedo room, pressurize the room from the salvage air connection.  The motor electrician can do this from Maneuvering.  (we were talking about a leak in ATR last time I checked.)  At 150 feet, the torpedo room would need to be pressurized to about 65#.

Now, as for rigging the bow planes for manual, there is a handle at the diving station, just forward of the bow planes handwheel, that is shifted to put the planes in manual.  Pity the poor bow planesman who will now have to work his ass off to maintain depth.

[JTheotonio]

Bravo Zulu! Right on E 

One thing to also consider now that you have a compartment pressurized - this affects a person who may be in the compartment trying to stop the flooding.  CO2 will build up in the blood faster when under pressure.  So now if this takes a long time (hour or two), you cannot just open the hatch.  The room needs to be de-pressureized slow just as a scuba diver coming up from that depth.

Back to the bow planes - we did this for drills and you are correct - the planeman did all he could to maintain depth.  It was tough work and every planesman had to do it. It sure was good to get qualified and stand watch in the forward torpedo room.  Let the NQP man the planes.

[JTheotonio]

Darrin - did we finish this one? I'm tired.  All this flooding in the after torpedo room drained me.  I think I'll have a bit of Gilly juice to revitialize myself.

Working on next question...

[Darrin]

JT,
we have gone as far as humanly possible on leaks in the ATR and let's move on with something else fun. Save some of they Gilly juice for me when I get off watch please kind sir